Killer Deals and Lover's Chills
by Ugly Kitten
Summary: Critics are welcome. What if someone intervened in what was to be in KH? See Dirken, Pandora's Box, Hamlet, Frankenstein, and more! Watch as the plot unfolds, unlike any I've ever read before. Not a Mary Sue. Chapter 18 is up!
1. Default Chapter

This is MY story. Mine! No Davids allowed! And.guess what? I'm not the main character! I am following a dare passed up by my good buddy, Ami-chan, and writing a story in which I am not the main character. Well, she got her wish! Terra is nothin' like me. She is a goth, into hard rock/metallic, and absolutely loves to get hugs from her two friends. One of which is me, but I changed her name. See if you can guess which one! So.here's how this runs around. I will only do this once at the start of my fan fiction. Once!  
  
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its affiliates are property of Squaresoft and Disney Productions. I am in no way affiliated with either. Any other companies mentioned, if they sound even a bit familiar, are also not mine. I do not profit from this story, and I do not wish anything but to improve my writing. In other words, critics, this is your story to take apart and put back together again!  
  
Angel Sari Neko Jeminie Indigo Productions presents.  
  
Killer Deals and Lover Chills  
  
Chapter 1: Terra and Sora's Fortune  
  
"Round and round, where we'll always stop, I shall ne'er shout!" She giggled at her self-proclaimed "randomness" and gave a shrill whoop. Her best friend chuckled under her breath.  
  
"Terra, what are you doing?"  
  
"Random things, Renee!" Terra yelled, leaping in a mock ballet. "Can't you see that? I'm a random girl!"  
  
"Duh, we knew that, TJ," said the final girl in the trio, using Terra's nickname. Her name was Blank. "We're just sort of wondering why you're so happy today."  
  
"No reason!" Terra skipped once or twice, swinging her heavy backpack along the way.  
  
The hallway stared at her. Like she cared? She was light as a hair and just as strung out. If she didn't do all the wacky things she did, her friends would figure things out. And she wanted to be sure her friends would never figure things out.  
  
"School's out for a week, guys. That means the English paper, and." Terra said. She stopped short, and glanced from side to side. "I'll miss you guys! Luckily.KINGDOM HEARTS AWAITS! English paper can wait till the last second."  
  
"Last seconds are always cool. And your bishonen waits," Renee grinned.  
  
"What bishi? I have a bishi? How come I wasn't aware of this?" Terra batted her eyelids, which lacked lashes. Only her right brow remained when it came to facial hair.  
  
"Yeah! Riku-chan, you brat," Renee said. "Come on, you know you like him!"  
  
"No way!" Terra shouted. "He's not my type! I want Sora."  
  
"Why Sora? We know you, you don't like the ordinary guy."  
  
"Sora's not ordinary!" Terra protested.  
  
"Yes, he is!"  
  
"No, he isn't!"  
  
"Yes, he is! He's just your average Disney superhero, Terra! But Riku is.well, he's Riku!"  
  
"See you later, guys," Blank said. It wasn't her way to speak many words. What few she did speak, she meant to the last bit of her long black hair. Terra knew that Blank loved her, as a friend.  
  
"Oh, fine, just keep on thinking that, you insipid little twerp," Terra said. "I'm going home to drizzle the case over my bishi-SORA!"  
  
She stalked off down the school halls, past the gaping mouths of lockers and people alike. She broke through into daylight, sighing as the sun hit her pale skin. Telltale streaks of uneven light brown hair shimmered dully in the light-gifts from a beach long ago.  
  
Kansas' streets welcomed street-ignorant Terra Jem. Perhaps it was simply her deep set eyes or her unforgiving black clothes hinted with silver, but never once had she been hassled on these byways. The walk home was a short one, and she made her ways well.  
  
New greens sheltered the tiny homes lining her walk home. Her house, now coming into view on a neat little street corner, was largest of them all. Her father had found a good man to build on to the back.  
  
She swung wide to avoid slamming into the two cars parked there again (a Thunderbird and a Mercedes). Barely missing them, she smirked, satisfied.only to lose her concentration and slam into the front door. She again recovered, muttering to herself a few choice words.  
  
Inside the house, a fresh coat of wild blue paint shone wet on the walls of the living room. Terra sighed, rubbed a tender spot on her forehead, and lumbered into the confines of her bedroom. It was the only room in the house where she could be completely alone. Where she could play her game, alone. Where she could draw, alone. Where she could do whatever the hell she wanted, and no one, and I mean no one, could bother her.  
  
"TERRA, IS THAT YOU!?"  
  
That is, except her mother.  
  
"Yeah, Mom!" Terra shouted back. "Whatcha need?"  
  
"I GOT DINNER!"  
  
"Goody. Probably Chinese," she murmured.  
  
"IT'S CHINESE!"  
  
"Darn. I hate being right."  
  
Terra dropped her backpack and made her way slowly into the new family room, where more paint, this time bright red, was splattered on the wall.  
  
"Did you like the new color I got for the living room?" Mom asked. "How about this one, isn't it a loverly shade of red?"  
  
"Beautiful. Frank and Edward would be proud."  
  
"You think? Hey, you want to watch Trading Spaces with me? It's coming on in five minutes!"  
  
"Nah, I'm good," Terra grinned. "I'll eat in my room, 'kay? Thanks for the offer, Mom."  
  
As soon as she was out of the room, her mouth drooped and feet dragging the ground. Why did she have to do this? It would be so much easier to just say she didn't like Trading Spaces, to tell her friends that she wouldn't want Riku in a thousand years, flat out not do the stupid English paper due on Monday, just wear some normal clothes, stop pretending she was always sad- but-happy-go-lucky, and play Kingdom Hearts all day.  
  
But that just wasn't the way Terra Jem was. Terra Jem was a happy-go-lucky goth who did all her work well, and she always argued with her friends playfully, and she always watched Trading Spaces without a fuss. She even pretended to like it! Wasn't that what a good friend, a good daughter, student, artist, person was? Wasn't that who she was?  
  
Her only retreat from the real world was her "places," as she put it. Her game, her art, her writing, her stories, her characters, people she loved and knew better than she knew or loved any person in the real world.  
  
Of course, she always came back to a single, significant problem-she had to come back.  
  
It just wasn't right, the people that were outside of these other places she knew. Terra tore her chopsticks from the grocery bag and began eating at record speed. The Dillons chicken fried rice, chicken lo mein, and chicken egg roll were getting extremely tiring, but she still ate them. Her mother couldn't cook, after all. And Terra didn't want to cook. Her brother, Al (short for Albert), was too young to be near a stove, and her father.  
  
Let's not talk about Terra's old man.  
  
Terra's clever chops found each grain of rice and noodle. Throwing her chopsticks away, she reached for the final bit of her dinner-the fortune cookie. It always did her good to read the inside message, and seal it by eating the cookie. Fun, even. But things like "You will find true love" and "You will happen upon good luck today" didn't really mean much to Terra.  
  
It was just fun and games.  
  
Never mess with the cookie gods.  
  
A journey begins this day,  
Of two lives you shall live,  
You shall decide the reality of love.  
Begin what is to be undone,  
Ugly is the light and beautiful the shadow.  
Means to justify an end or  
The means to justify the journey?  
You decide.  
  
"Huh? What kind of fortune is this?"  
  
Terra read through it once or twice more. She then shrugged, stuffed it in her pocket, and forgot all about it. Sighing, she turned on her TV and the Playstation 2. While Kingdom Hearts was loading, she took a brief glance around her room. Most people assume that a bedroom defines the person who sleeps within.  
  
Not true with Terra, with the exception of a single object-a painting. The rest of the room was green-pale curtains, dark walls, white trim. The bed was set against one wall, a simple dresser-painted pale green-against the other. An unframed mirror above that, like a tall vanity of some kind. A simple desk was set against the final wall, opposite the door and closet. Her TV was at the foot of her bed on a small, rickety old table.  
  
Getting back to this painting. It appeared complex enough; a small girl was the focus, dressed in a highly detailed outfit that flowed and moved like leather. She was surrounded by a forest clearing, with detailed trees and leaves that looked about ready to come off the canvas. The girl looked like she was dancing with someone, but only a blank silhouette of a man was there. Littering the forest floor were vines, which appeared snakelike and ready to strike when she came near. But she was oblivious.  
  
Terra didn't know why she agreed so heavily with that painting. She hadn't really considered what she was doing when she started drawing the preliminary sketch. Not a clue why she even continued it, drawing it onto the largest canvas she had used yet, using oils, a median unexplored to her, and very permanent.  
  
Probably why she chose it to be hung in her room. And quite possibly why her mother took the green tones from the painting and used them in the room.  
  
God, she hated this room.  
  
Even so.  
  
"Hmm.Maybe she'd agree to paint it a different color if I put in a different painting,"  
  
Terra sighed and turned back to her TV, glad to see that the screen had come up at last.  
  
"New Game? Why not."  
  
And into the game she went, expecting exactly what she had always played in the past. However, the game had ideas of its own. Too many, one might say. But when destiny intervenes.nothing can stop it.  
  
***  
  
Sora flopped back onto the warm sand. Kairi and Riku would be looking for him, but at the moment, he didn't care. What if they didn't get to another world on the raft? What if they just kept drifting and drifting, until they met a storm, or worse, ran out of food and water?  
  
What if this isn't real, and he's not just setting out for a suicide mission?  
  
"I want to see the world.but what if the world doesn't want to be seen?" he said to himself. "I mean, are we just meant to be here, on this island? Are there really other worlds?"  
  
Sora's mouth gaped in a yawn and he rolled over, falling quickly to sleep.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder, too, Sora," a voice said into darkness. "I wonder why someone loses her place, why some are granted this while others' needs are so great."  
  
"Wh-Who are you?"  
  
"You needn't know my name."  
  
A small blue light created shadows against Sora. The location of the voice was no where and everywhere. He was all that was in this place.  
  
"You'll notice that there is little use for shadows without light," said the voice. "And the brighter the light, and the closer it gets, the more the shadow grows." The blue light grew bright, and its source (a light bulb) came close enough for Sora to lick it if he pleased.  
  
Sure enough, the voice was right in every way.  
  
"What does this have to do with me?" Sora asked.  
  
"Everything and nothing at all."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense!"  
  
"Sense? My dear friend, the world is not made of logic; It is made of people. And people, be they whatever they may be, are flawed. And flaws are made in their placement. I give you a great chance now, Sora."  
  
"What chance?"  
  
"To live someone else's life. You see, Sora, had I not been here, your destiny would be very much different. But now I plan to change fate, change destiny. Another's will be changed this night, too. Nothing but a simple poem goes to you each."  
  
A sheet of paper appeared in Sora's hands. I can tell you that it was the exact same as the one Terra received inside of a fortune cookie. However, the game screen only shows her Sora's confused face as he is thrown back into the "real" world.  
  
Kairi!  
  
"WHOA!"  
  
Sora sat up in shock, staring at his good friend as she laughed. Her short red locks and easy countenance always made him forget his troubles. But they came back when she accused him of laziness.  
  
"No! I was in this room, and this voice was-where's that paper-she said-"  
  
Kairi struck him hard on the head.  
  
"Are you still dreaming?"  
  
"Sure he is, he's always dreaming." Riku, with his longish silver hair and aqua eyes, smooth face and easy-going air, was Sora's rival-and other best friend. "So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft."  
  
"We're coming!"  
  
They jumped up and raced off for the raft together. The three best friends, without a true care in the world. Soon enough, their world would be turned upside down. Not in the fashion that they expected, of course.  
  
"You've got to finish gathering supplies for the raft," Kairi said. She was the organizer, the person who knew what to do and how to do it. Maybe that's why Sora liked her so much. "We need some logs, something for a sail.and some more rope. Think you can handle it, Sora?"  
  
"Don't worry about me, you just get the rest of the stuff lassoed together."  
  
Sora set out across the island, searching for his stuff.  
  
***  
  
"That isn't how it's supposed to go," Terra twitched her nose, irritated. "Oh, well, maybe it's like a bonus thing. Like, if I defeat it so many times, I get to play it this way."  
  
Terra assured herself this was so and started to shut down the system. Just before her fingers hit the "Power" switch, however.  
  
"TERRA!"  
  
"What does that woman want now?" Terra grumbled under her breath. Throwing her controller aside, she went back to the red family room in hopes of whatever it was being incredibly important.  
  
"Yes, Mom?" Her light-hearted response reflected exactly opposite her real feelings.  
  
"Al wants you to drive him to a party or something," Mom said. "Could you take him?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Al, who was standing just around the corner, jumped out and clapped his hands. He bowed and shouted praises to his sister. Most of them, he didn't really mean. Terra knew it, but she didn't say anything. Silence was the way to go.  
  
Silence and servitude.  
  
Al ran out into the T-bird, Terra following. She had her license already, but it just didn't feel right, being sixteen and all. The navigation system made her feel better about the whole deal anyway; all she had to do was turn on the street it said.  
  
***  
  
Once she arrived back home, she informed her mother that her brother was at a sleepover party. Then, feeling as though dragged through a marsh by the tips of her shoes, she curled into her bed. The funny thing is, she almost always slept on her back. Shrugging it off, Terra fell asleep almost instantly.  
  
***  
  
The sunset was a gorgeous mixture of reds, golds, and purples, but what he really cared about was the fact that it only made Kairi more beautiful. Maybe if he did share a paopu fruit with her, like Riku suggested, she would be with him forever.  
  
Or not.  
  
But it couldn't hurt to try.  
  
Yet it would. It would hurt their friendship. Wouldn't it? Ach! Sora's confusing me!  
  
"I've always wondered why we're here on this island," Riku was saying. "If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds...Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go."  
  
"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi said.  
  
"Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this." He stared right at her. "Kairi. Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Was that an uncomfortable shift? Would Sora lose Kairi to Riku? Only time could tell. They headed home then, in a stiff silence. Riku held back a minute, watching Kairi walk away.  
  
Sora lay on his back in his bed, hoping that the next day would bring better fortune. He sat up and glanced around his room, his blue eyes half- lidded. Dirty clothes, homework papers, left over pizza from about a week ago. He rumpled his chocolate brown hair and lay down to sleep on his back once more. Weird thing is, he always slept curled up.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Hmm.does anyone smell a Freaky Friday thing coming?? Anyone? Anyone? Could Terra's opening character be better? Blank's (she's important, but she really can't talk a whole bunch yet.)? What about the "mysterious voice" that Sora encountered? How were my scene changes? In other words..Review please! Critics, you aren't gonna hurt my feelings! SHOUT AWAY! 


	2. Realizations

I probably should have mentioned earlier that I also don't own Freaky Friday. I'm moving this plot a little bit quick, and I love it already! Come on, ya'll start them reviews just a-pumpin'!  
  
Quote of the Chapter: "That's definitely not mine!"-Freaky Friday  
  
Killer Deals and Lover's Chills  
  
Chapter 2: Realizations  
  
Sora uncurled in his bed, rubbing his head gently against the soft pillows. Sinking further into the bliss of warmth, he couldn't see opening his eyes at any point soon. However, he didn't want Kairi coming over and finding him in nothing but his boxer shorts. He reached up to rub his eyebrows.  
  
Stopped short.  
  
"What.?"  
  
His left eyebrow was gone. Gone, as in not there. His right brow was small, slightly arched. Nothing like his thick, bushy one. Had Riku come in during the night and shaved it off, as a joke? His fingers found his eyelids, rubbing gently-wait a second! No eyelashes!  
  
His eyes shot open. Sora's eyes went wide. This isn't my room, he thought. It's green. All green. Wow! Who did that painting?  
  
He jumped out of the bed, leaving it unmade. The entire area was clean and well organized. A nice TV, a closed closet, a straight-line desk. But that painting.how beautiful the lines all were, absolutely perfect. The young woman wasn't pretty, but she wasn't ugly, either. Her hair didn't fall just right, nor did her black and white dress. She was small, dancing with a shadow of a man.  
  
Sora reached up to touch it. Stopped short. His hands.that wasn't his hand! They were too long. Too delicate-looking. Too pale for his beached life.  
  
That's when he noticed them. Two small lumps where his flat chest had been. Under a T-shirt that said "Cutie."  
  
"What the-that's not my voice!"  
  
His voice, which had been a slightly squeaky alto, was now a smooth, low- key soprano. Though, he doubted this voice would be very good for singing. Sora swallowed hard. There was a mirror over there. That would solve everything.  
  
Wouldn't it?  
  
He held back a moment. What if what he saw wasn't what he thought? Was he just going insane? Was he just imagining things? He squelched all his thoughts. Sora knew he wouldn't know until he saw with his own two eyes.  
  
Taking the two long steps forward, he ended up in front of the mirror, eyes shut tight. Pressing his lips together, Sora steeled himself up. He was not going to scream, whatever he saw. That was a promise.  
  
His eyes opened a crack, just a bit. Then went wide as saucers.  
  
"I-I'm a girl," he blinked sharply. "I'm a girl. Oh. My. God! I don't believe it! I'm a girl!"  
  
"Duh, Terra, you've been a girl since you were born."  
  
Sora squealed in shock, then calmed down. It was only a boy, about thirteen. He looked a little like Riku, in a way. Same silvery-blond hair. The same aqua-blue eyes. Only two years younger, and a whole lot shorter.  
  
"Uh.hey, kid," Sora managed to say. "Good morning?"  
  
"Morning to you, too," the kid said, cocking an eyebrow at "him." "Look, Mom wants you to do the laundry, then you have to play Kingdom Hearts with me."  
  
"Um.okay?"  
  
"Terra, are you feeling all right?"  
  
"Sure, kid."  
  
"Okay, I'm just gonna walk away from her," said the kid. "Get dressed first and wash those clothes, too."  
  
"Uh.okay."  
  
The kid left, leaving a very, very frightened Sora. How on Earth was he going to do the laundry? He hadn't done laundry a day in his life! And what was Kingdom Hearts? Well, at least he knew this person's name. Terra. What an interesting name.  
  
"Well," Sora said to himself. "The only way to do this is go forward."  
  
He opened the closet and was overwhelmed. Black. Black and silver in every single outfit, it didn't matter. There wasn't a single other color, with the exception of an occasional white stripe or spot. Who was this girl, and exactly how crazy was she? Why did she always wear black and silver?  
  
Sighing, Sora picked out a random set of clothes and, closing his eyes, dressed in the black clothes. Sora shoved the nightshirt into a small bag full of clothes and carried it off through the door.  
  
Assaulting his eyes were colors upon colors upon colors. Whoever had chosen the paints for these rooms, all connected by a bright yellow dining room, had serious issues. He walked through the short hall, into the dining room, and through the open arch to a family room. This was being painted a deadly shade of red by a woman quite similar to himself.  
  
He assumed she was "Terra's" mother.  
  
"Al said you were acting weird," she said. "Are you okay, Terra?"  
  
"Y-Yeah, M-m-mom, just fine. Why do you a-ask?"  
  
"Just wondering. You know Al picks up on those types of things faster than I do," she grinned at Sora. "Well, go do the laundry. Come back here when you're done, I've got the tape to last night's new Trading Spaces!"  
  
"Okay," Sora said. What was Trading Spaces? Why did Sora get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that this wasn't going to be very pretty? And how was he going to do the laundry when he'd never done it before?  
  
Then he saw the washing machine. It was huge and white and its mouth gaped at him, ready to eat the clothes he fed to it. Buttons and dials and numbers swam in his vision. Which ones did he have to twist? What was he going to do???  
  
Help? He thought.  
  
***  
  
Terra covered her eyes with her arm. The light coming from her window was far too bright for her liking. Any minute now, Al would come into her room and shake her awake, telling her to do the laundry. She would take off her nightshirt, the one that said "Cutie" and change into a pair of black pants and top.  
  
Then she would write her dream into her diary, real quickly. But what to write? Her dreams had given her little this time, only a black room lit by a single blue light. Still, it was better than nothing, and it may help her write a novel one day. That was her greatest aspiration-a novel.  
  
She sat up, feeling around for the diary under her pillow.  
  
It wasn't there.  
  
"What?!"  
  
Her eyes flew open, and a thousand realizations came to her all at once. This wasn't her room, that wasn't her hand, and that definitely wasn't her voice, among them. Terra gulped hard and took a few quick, deep breaths. As if something were choking her. This room looked familiar.  
  
This is a guy's room, she thought. What the hell am I doing in a guy's room? Why is my voice so weird sounding? Terra glanced around and winced. A messy guy at that.  
  
"Well, now that we've established that, what are we going to do?" Terra said aloud. The voice she spoke in was really getting to her. Then she looked down. Her chest was flat, her voice low, her knees scabbed.was she in a dream? Was she dreaming about her childhood? About Kyle, her next door neighbor crush of a thousand eons ago, and Blank's older brother?  
  
No.  
  
Why would she be?  
  
She was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of shorts, but she could feel that she didn't have on any underwear. Wait a second.those were her underwear! She gulped hard.  
  
"That thing definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely ain't mine," she muttered. "What the hell is going on?"  
  
Murmuring a few more choice words, she picked her way over the socks and dirty clothes and papers that littered the floor, and not daintily, either. Nearly tripping over a pair of red boots, she made it to the closet. The inside looked like her house, it had so many colors. It dazzled her, but at the same time, she was intrigued. It would be fun to wear some nice colors for once.  
  
Picking out a pair of blue long shorts, a red t-shirt, and a blue hooded jacket, she got dressed. Since they were the only ones in the room, she pulled on the boots and ran a hand through her hair.  
  
Stopped.  
  
"What the hell?" She patted her head, in absolute shock. Her hair was not only short; it had a brand new texture to it, one that she was sure hadn't got there overnight.  
  
Or had it?  
  
She smoothed it down as much as she could without a comb (there wasn't one) and climbed over the clothes to the door. A bathroom was opposite the room, and she gladly let herself in.  
  
The mirror was the first thing she went to. Eyes already wide with fright, her mouth dropped open too. She screamed at the top of her lungs...er.his lungs.  
  
"I'm a guy, oh my god, oh-" A few more choice words rolled off her-his- tongue.  
  
"Sora, are you okay?" A woman's voice-presumably her (his?) mother-came through the door. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"  
  
"Uh.no, Mom, no, I'm okay," Terra said. "I'm, uh.good."  
  
"Are you sure, sweetie?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay.well, your friend is downstairs waiting for you, okay?"  
  
"Um.all right."  
  
Terra turned back to the mirror and gulped hard. Not only was she trapped inside a fourteen-year-old boy's body, she was trapped in Sora's body. Meaning she was in a hell of a lot of trouble.  
  
She swore under her breath.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
As you can tell, Terra's got a bit of a dirty mouth. I'm sorry if I don't write them, because it's just against my ethics. Use your imagination! Can anybody wait to see what happens when Terra meets Riku and Kairi? Let me put things into perspective here-Terra's mind is in Sora's body. A guy's body, older girl's mind. Hmm.wonder what's gonna happen? At least Sora's pretty careful. Yes, there is a small problem going on with Sora (in Terra's body) and that is a certain guy named Kyle. Review please? Critics criticize please! 


	3. Laundry, Trading Spaces, and Anomalies

Hmm. No reviews yet. ( Does ANYBODY love Angel? NO! -___-; Well, to anyone who's just reading and not reviewing, here is chapter 3.  
  
Quote of the Update: After a comment on cleaning being girl's work, Tim says:  
  
"We are enlightened men."  
  
"What does 'enlightened' mean?"  
  
"It means 'scared of mom'."  
  
--Home Improvement. Gotta love Tim Taylor. ^__^  
  
Quick note: I don't own Trading Spaces. Funny thing is, ya'll, I love the show!  
  
Killer Deals and Lover's Chills  
  
Chapter 3: Laundry, Trading Spaces, and Anomalies  
  
He stared at the ugly white machine. It glared right back. Sora kicked it in hopes of that working. It didn't. Well.hmm. If he put clothes in, maybe it would start by itself? He dumped the clothes from Terra's hamper into the machine (black, white, silver chains, and all). It still wasn't full yet, so he glanced around. A hole in the wall held some clothes in it. Throwing those in, too, it was filled about to the white line, which said plainly "full."  
  
On the shelf above the machines were packages, all labeled clearly. They each said the following: detergent, bleach, softener, and fabric softener. Sora didn't have a clue which was which. He assumed that they all went into the washer at the same time, and so began to do so.  
  
The detergent, bleach, and softener each had a measuring cup in their lids, which he used to his advantage. He also put a sheet of the fabric softeners into the machine and shut the lid. The buttons each had signs and words.  
  
Assuming that all of the dials were on the correct place, he didn't bother with any of them but the one labeled "start cycle." He placed the dial on "regular wash" and pushed the "start" button, quite proud of himself. He'd done the laundry.  
  
He then went out into the family room and sat down with Terra's mom to watch this Trading Spaces thing. She smiled and thanked him, placing the tape into the VCR and he heard some annoying little jingle.  
  
"Hello and welcome to Trading Spaces, the show where two families decorate two rooms in two days with just one thousand dollars."  
  
What's a dollar?  
  
"We're in Wichita, Kansas, where our neighbors Jonas Stalk-"  
  
"Oh, Terra, guess what?" Sora looked at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Guess who the next Trading Spaces show will feature?"  
  
Sora blinked.  
  
"Your friends Kyle and Blank and.us!"  
  
"What?!" Sora fell over on the floor. "You're kidding!"  
  
"Wow, I didn't think you'd be that happy," Terra's Mom said. "Blank and Kyle were really happy to hear about it, too. Kyle hasn't seen you in a while, he's really looking forward to seeing you all grown up."  
  
"H-huh?"  
  
"You don't remember? You had the wildest crush on his when you were eight, it was the cutest case of puppy love I've ever seen!"  
  
Uh. Oh.  
  
Sora gave every ounce of his attention to the show he was watching. His first time on TV and he hadn't a clue how to act, nor about that show. Once it was over, he was blinking.  
  
"Hey, er.Mom? Do you have any more tapes?"  
  
"Yeah, here." She reached into the closet and handed her a small box stuffed to the brim with tapes. "You can watch them in your room after you play with Al."  
  
"Okay," Sora said. He took the tapes and swallowed as Al came bouncing out of his room, ready to play Kingdom Hearts.  
  
***  
  
Terra glanced down the stairs, every cautious fiber in Sora's body prickling in tune with her mind. How she was going to pull this off, she didn't know. She was darn sure Riku would know it wasn't Sora. But Kairi.She might be able to fool her. Might.  
  
The downstairs portion of the house was a living room, and that was it. The entire place was built like a beach house, and rightfully so. They were, after all, on an island. Terra drew in a deep breath and hoped to see red hair on the living room couch.  
  
Just her luck, it wasn't Riku or Kairi. It was Wakka.  
  
"Hey, man, you up for a little battle?" asked the boy.  
  
"No, I'm good," Terra said. She scratched behind her head gingerly. "I'm sort of tired out."  
  
"Okay, got to keep your strength up, ya?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"See you later, then."  
  
Wakka left and Terra sighed, her lips pressed in a thin line. This wasn't the way to go on Destiny Islands. She just turned down a fight from a "weak" guy. But Terra never had fought a day in her life. How was she going to do everything Sora could?  
  
"Here, have some breakfast before you go meet Riku and Kairi, Sora," Sora's mom said. "Okay?"  
  
Terra nodded. She sat at the kitchen table, thinking hard. How did she end up on Destiny Islands, in Sora's body? What could have happened? The game was acting up yesterday, but hadn't it just been a bonus level?  
  
No, she could rule that out now. What was she doing before then? She ate dinner. It was Chinese, like she thought. It always made her mad when she was right.Wait! The fortune cookie! Terra gobbled down the pancakes and orange juice faster than ever and took off back upstairs. Sora would have it in those red pants of his, if he kept it..  
  
Sure enough, Terra found the red half pants right on top of his dirty clothes. And there was the fortune, same as ever.  
  
A journey begins this day,  
Of two lives you shall live,  
You shall decide the reality of love.  
Begin what is to be undone,  
Ugly is the light and beautiful the shadow.  
Means to justify an end or  
The means to justify the journey?  
You decide.  
  
"Okay, so the journey.two lives, I'm here, he must be there.decide the reality of love? What the hell? Begin what is to be undone.okay.ugly light, beautiful shadow? Sounds like Ansem.What does it mean? What am I supposed to do? A means to justify an end or the means to justify the journey? What the hell?"  
  
Terra sank onto Sora's bed, feeling like she was going to scream.  
  
"Sora! Weren't you going to meet Riku today?"  
  
"Yeah, Mom, I'm going!" Terra shouted back.  
  
Well, close enough. She slid the paper into her new pockets and headed out to the one place she was sure she could find: The small island across the bridge. Sure enough, there Riku was, waiting on her. Well, waiting for Sora, really, but Sora, if her hypothesis was correct, was in her world, in her body. He must be getting quite the shock.  
  
"Sora! Hey, I was wondering when you'd get here. You're late."  
  
"Sorry," Terra said. "Wakka challenged me."  
  
"Can't you ignore a challenge just once in your life?"  
  
"Nope. Can you?"  
  
"No."  
  
Terra and Riku laughed together. If things kept going like this, she would succeed. And then, she looked at him, for the first time. Those powerful shoulders, that handsome, strong face, that adult disposition.  
  
NO!  
  
She had fallen for a guy once before that way. Terra wasn't going to let it happen again. Kyle wasn't going to happen again in the form of Riku. And, like she'd already told her friends, she'd never fall for Riku in a thousand years.  
  
Or had she? No, she remembered. Only had thought it.  
  
"Come on, Kairi's waiting on us," Riku jumped down from the island into the water. Terra glanced down and gulped. No way was she going to jump that far! She spied the little ladder and took that instead.  
  
"Sora, you feeling all right?"  
  
"Yeah, never better," Terra said, realizing her mistake. Sora would never have done what she did. He always followed what Riku did. "I'm just.er.trying something new."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
Terra followed Riku up onto the main island, across shimmering sand, on old boards that looked a lot like driftwood. She remembered a beach similar to this when she was small. Nostalgia was the least of her worries, however.  
  
"Hey, let's name the raft," Riku said. "How about Highwind?"  
  
"Excalibur would be cool, too," Terra jested.  
  
"Are you two at it again?" Kairi came over the hill and into sight. "I'll give the count. Race from here to the star checkpoint, using any route you want. Whoever comes back first, wins. Ready? 3.2.1.GO!"  
  
Terra took off through the cave entrance, knowing this area best of them all. She jumped onto the star, touched it and shot off back toward Kairi. Strange enough, Sora's body was still just as strong, just as fast without Sora's mind.  
  
"I win!"  
  
"We name it Excalibur, then," Riku smirked. Terra's heart skipped a beat. What was going on? She didn't like Riku!  
  
Terra began to walk off, but.  
  
"Hey, Sora."  
  
"What is it, Riku?"  
  
"Are you sure you're all right?"  
  
Terra looked back and saw his face cocked slightly to the left, his eyes narrowed, his arms crossed. Suspicion was present in every ounce of his voice. "You've been acting weird lately. Yesterday, with that dream, and today, it's like I don't know you anymore."  
  
"Maybe you don't," Terra said, and turned her back on him. "You don't know me."  
  
Terra didn't know what possessed her to say it. She didn't really mean it, after all, she'd barely just met him. The cold shoulder isn't precisely what she wanted to give Riku.  
  
But she had. The deed was done, no matter how you looked at it.  
  
However, Riku didn't take coldness the way most people do. In fact.  
  
"I knew there was something different about you," he grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him. "You're not Sora. Who are you?"  
  
"What do you mean? Of course I'm Sora!"  
  
Terra panicked and broke from his grasp to run for it. He was too fast and too strong for even Sora's body, though. Riku grabbed and took hold of Sora's wrists and pulled them, cop style, behind Sora's back before Terra could even think of a clever escape plan.  
  
"Let me go, you-" Terra shouted a long string of fragrant curse words, most of which Riku didn't even know.  
  
"Who are you?" Riku demanded, pulling her tighter. "What's your name? What have you done to Sora?"  
  
"Let me go, and maybe I'll consider it," Terra said sweetly, despite her predicament.  
  
"Well, at least I know you're a woman," Riku chuckled under his breath. "Why did you steal Sora's body?"  
  
"I didn't. It's some dumb fortune cookie Freaky Friday thing!"  
  
"What's a fortune cookie? What's Freaky Friday?"  
  
"Let. Me. UP!"  
  
Riku twisted Sora's wrists around and brought Terra up face-to-face with him again, and a little too close for comfort. Forcing her to sit down, he placed his wooden sword to her throat. Disney left out the little detail of how sharp those little sticks were.  
  
"Speak."  
  
"I've got the stupid fortune, if you please will remove that thing from my neck. We're on an island, how far do you think I can run?"  
  
"Point taken," Riku said. He sheathed the sword and waited patiently, his aqua eyes burning into hers. Into Sora's, she corrected herself. These were only out on loan.  
  
"Here." Terra whipped out the sheet of paper and gave it to him. "He got it in that so-called dream he had yesterday. I got it in a fortune cookie in my dinner, also yesterday. Apparently, we both went to sleep and. . .ended up in each other's bodies. Or so, that's my theory. I swear I've no idea how we got this way. And if I knew how to switch us back, I would. Happy?"  
  
"Except one thing. What's your name?"  
  
"Sora."  
  
"Your name."  
  
"Oh, all right. I'm Terra. Terra Jem, TJ to my friends."  
  
"Welcome to the Destiny Islands, Terra. And to our little experiment."  
  
"Huh?" Terra's mouth dropped open. "What do you mean, 'our' experiment?"  
  
"You know, after being made into an evil guy, unlocking and being locked in Kingdom Hearts, getting lost, it gets a little boring doing it over and over and OVER again," Riku smiled. His voice, however, was like getting licked with cactus spurs. "So, you're the one King Mickey chose to switch places with Sora. Don't worry. Your body will soon follow, too. We've halted the consumption of this world for a bit."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"We're what are called Anomalies. We don't quite fit into our world, or any others. We can go to them, go through them, but we're never quite a part of them. Your friends are like that. They were looking for you long before you came to that place called Kansas," he smiled. "Sora is the strongest Anomaly here, which is why we chose him to go in your place. It's sort of like a 'walk in your shoes' reality show, yes?"  
  
"Yeah.except I didn't exactly give consent, did I?" Terra said. "Why did you tell me all this?"  
  
"So you'd know. They'll erase my memory of it, so they can see what happens when no one knows about it," he grinned, chuckled, laughed. "Of course, I'll always get that nostalgia feeling for the original, but that's the way it is. We wanted to try something new."  
  
"Sounds cool," Terra nodded. Of course, it sounded beyond just a little strange, too, but still. She couldn't argue with how many times they'd had to go through their "story." "So, Blank and Renee are Anomalies, too?"  
  
"Blank is. Renee's absolutely oblivious.it's happening."  
  
"What?"  
  
A flash of light sparked over Riku's head.  
  
"I'm forgetting. And you're changing."  
  
Terra looked down. Sure enough, her legs were growing. The color of her pants, and the initial shape of them, weren't changing. They were growing with her. The curves of a boy were being replaced with those of a woman. A pretty flat-chest woman with a small butt, but a woman nonetheless.  
  
"Will anyone remember me back home?"  
  
"No. And no one will remember Sora here. They'll remember you, and whatever your life is and was, with a few tweaks and twiddles here and there."  
  
"Tweaks and twiddles? What kind of tweaks?"  
  
Another flash of light covered Riku and her. Quite suddenly, Terra was herself again.  
  
And Riku blinked at her.  
  
"Excalibur it is, then. Come on, let's go talk to Kairi. We need to gather supplies."  
  
************************************************************************ Ookay.now we're getting somewhere! Yay! I love this story already!! ^__^ Plot. Review, please. Critics welcome! 


	4. Lose a Father Gain a Friend

No reviews.( Me not loved.  
  
Killer Deals and Lover's Chills  
  
Chapter 4: Lose a Father Gain a Friend  
  
Sora and Al glanced at each other, then back to the TV and back again.  
  
"Terra.you're not Terra. You're Sora. Aren't you?"  
  
"Er-"  
  
"Oh. My. GOD. I don't believe it! I have a real-life Kingdom Hearts character sitting right beside me in my sister's body!" Then he thought about it. "Ewww."  
  
"Think of how I feel," Sora muttered under his breath. "At least now we know what's going on."  
  
"You will. That little flashy light thingie's gonna happen over my head soon enough and you'll become Sora and I won't remember that you're, well, Sora."  
  
The screen went black in the set. The light, just as Al had predicted, flashed over his head. Al, however, was waiting patiently next to him. Sora did not change as Terra had.  
  
He was still a girl.  
  
"I thought we were going to play Lord of the Rings?" Al said.  
  
"Oh, uh."  
  
"Never mind. Let's go get something to eat."  
  
"Um."  
  
"Never mind."  
  
Sora watched as Al left.  
  
"SORA! IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?!" Mom shouted, the house ringing with her voice. "GET DOWN HERE!" At least Mom knew his name.  
  
Sora, trying to think back to what he'd done, raced down the single stair to the family room. The bathroom. The-uh, oh-laundry room. He blinked in shock. The clothes he had put in the washer, all different colors and shades, were now all white. Every last bit of it. Stark white.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?"  
  
"Um.I was getting tired of black?"  
  
"You didn't have to die all of the clothes in here!"  
  
"Um.Sorry?"  
  
Mom sputtered, trying to find words for her wrath and got lost herself. She shoved the white clothes into the dryer. Glared at him.  
  
"Go order some pizza."  
  
"Okay. Come on, Al, help me out here."  
  
*Scene*  
  
"Sora, you'd best get to work on that English paper," Mom said once everyone was feeding their face with pizza. "Trading Spaces is coming tomorrow to start shooting. Edward will be here to measure this afternoon." She pressed her fingers to her face, squealing. "I wonder what he'll do to my family room? Ooh, this is soooo exciting!"  
  
Sora, however, wasn't paying attention. How come Terra got her body back, but he didn't? He was still in the girl's body, without eyelashes and lacking a left eyebrow. What happened to her to loose those things, anyway?  
  
"Oh, Sora, your friend Blank is coming over to spend the night, I totally forgot," Mom said. "Did she tell you when she was coming?"  
  
"Er.no."  
  
"Then go get the phone and do it. Her new number is in the speed dial, on 3. Ask her to bring her sleeping bag-you need your sleep tonight. No telling what Frank will give us for homework."  
  
"Um.okay."  
  
Sora really wasn't cut out for this. What was he going to do? He probably should start referring to himself as a girl anyway. Looks like he'll be one for a while. Why didn't he get to be a guy?  
  
Perhaps this was all in the twisted destiny ideas Terra's friends and his had. And, if he was such a strong Anomaly, then why didn't he remember this conversation? Or the way his "destiny" in the Kingdom Hearts world went?  
  
"Hello, Blank?"  
  
"This is she."  
  
"Er.this is Sora. Mom said to ask when you were coming to spend the night here."  
  
"I'm headed over now, SJ," she said. "Did you enjoy our little twist on the deal?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure, loved it," Sora said, her voice oozing sarcasm. "Your one of the people who sprung this on us?"  
  
"Yup. Look, I'll explain more later. See ya in a few!" Click.  
  
Sora put the phone back in its cradle and headed back to finish his pizza. He didn't like this. He didn't like it at all.  
  
Blank arrived with a sleeping bag and a small bag full of belongings. She grinned at Sora as soon as she saw her, but didn't talk. In a flurry of welcomes and hellos on the parts of Mom, Al, and Sora (quite sullenly), they finally retreated into "Sora's" bedroom. Well, I guess it really is his. Hers. Whatever!  
  
"Why am I still in Terra's body?!" Sora hissed to her.  
  
"Because it makes the whole thing ten times more interesting," Blank smiled. "Did you know that Terra-that's you, in all fact here and now-and my brother have what we girls-that's you and me-call a history?"  
  
"I'm not a girl!" Sora whispered frantically.  
  
"On the contrary, Sora Jem, SJ, you are a sixteen year old woman with a great deal of a back story, as you would yourself say."  
  
"Back story?"  
  
"A story not written into a story. What happened before the tale began," Blank smirked. She was very similar to Riku, in many ways. And, as Sora would soon find, similar to Kyle, her brother. "I suppose you're wondering why you don't have eyelashes, or a left brow."  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"It has everything to do with why Terra doesn't have a father," Blank sighed. "Just like you, Sora."  
  
Sora kicked his feet against the bed.  
  
"They lived in Florida until she was eight years old," Blank said. "There was a forest fire. It took several residences, and her family's house was right in the way. Her father refused to leave. Terra's just as stubborn and bull-headed, you'll find. Her mother took five-year-old Al to their grandparents, but Terra wasn't going without her dad. She hid in a cupboard in the kitchen."  
  
"Did the fire get them?"  
  
"Yes. The fire overtook faster than either of them could have predicted. Terra decided against staying any more. She went to find her father, who was in her parents' bedroom. That room was closest to the fire."  
  
"Did she save him?"  
  
"She managed to drag him out of the house, all right. Her lashes and brow were burned off, but she didn't get close enough to get more than a few minor scrapes and burns. Terra's father wasn't so lucky. He'd inhaled too much of the smoke."  
  
Blank stared at Sora, true to her name in every way.  
  
"He died in the hospital from toxic fumes. He spent the last of his breath telling her to watch over her brother, and listen to her mother, and get through school, as he hadn't. She's followed that advice to the letter since. So much so that she is completely selfless. You can tell it in her eyes that all she wants to do is draw and write and paint. She wants to settle down soon. She needs someone to break her from that stupid pattern of servitude. She couldn't save her father from his own stubbornness. Terra needs to learn that she can be herself and follow what her father said."  
  
"So that's why you chose her?"  
  
"Oh, no," Blank giggled suddenly. "She's got a certain little crush on a certain pal of yours. I won't say who, but let's just say.he's got the goods."  
  
Sora cocked his head to the side. "What?"  
  
Blank sighed. "You really have a lot to learn. We've got all night."  
  
***  
  
"Well, that's all we'll need, I think," Kairi said. She looked up at Terra and Riku and smiled. "We'll cast off tomorrow, then?"  
  
"Yeah," Riku nodded. "Sounds good. Up to it, Terra?"  
  
"Sure," she said.  
  
How long did Riku, or whoever, stall the disappearance of Destiny Islands? Would it just come tomorrow night instead? Or would they be out at sea, trying to keep that rickety raft afloat? Or would they reach another island?  
  
Or would it be by minutes? Seconds?  
  
"Terra? You okay?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine," she smiled. "Why?"  
  
"You don't look too good," Riku said. His eyes widened a little, followed by his smile. "C'mon. I've got an idea."  
  
"Wha-"  
  
"C'mon!" He grabbed her wrist, almost with the same force as before. Her silver eyes widened. What was Riku doing? The world was a blur of tan, green, and blue. The only thing she could see clearly was Riku, wearing a tight-fitting yellow jumpsuit and a silver belt languidly tied instead of latched.  
  
"Riku, where-?"  
  
He stopped short, catching her momentum with his arms. A silvery white glove covered her lips, quieting her question. Motioning for her to follow him, he crept into the waterfall near the Secret Place Terra knew all too well.  
  
"I found them this morning when I was getting mushrooms," Riku said softly. "Be careful, I don't know where the mom is right now."  
  
Nestled far against the wall of the shallow cavern were three small kittens, completely white. Each one was wrapped firmly in ribbons and rested on top of sun-dried grass.  
  
Terra crept up close to them and smiled.  
  
"They're so adorable," she said softly. "I wish I could have a kitten. My mom-"  
  
"Is allergic, I know," Riku nodded, smiling. "I knew you loved them, so, when I found them, I had to show them to you."  
  
"Thanks, Riku," Terra said. "C'mon. We'd better leave before their momma gets back."  
  
"Yeah," he wrapped an arm around her. "You're shivering."  
  
"I guess I didn't notice before," Terra giggled nervously. Now that he mentioned it, it was like a freezer behind the falls. She glanced back at the kittens. "I guess, um. Could we stay? Until their mom gets back, at least?"  
  
"Terra, you're freezing already."  
  
"I know. But I don't want to just leave them."  
  
"If we get our scent near them, she won't come back, Terra," Riku said. "You know that. They'd die."  
  
"If we just sit near the falls, the water will wash our scent away," Terra pleaded. "Please, Riku?"  
  
"Oh, fine," he rolled his eyes. "You'll stay here whether I do or not, I might as well keep you company."  
  
"Thank you," Terra smiled and sat down next to the falls. "So.we're leaving tomorrow. How do you think Excalibur will handle?"  
  
"Three great craftspeople worked hard to make it. There's no doubt it will handle well."  
  
"We should bring your boat with us."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"In case, if something happens."  
  
Terra looked up at him, standing with his weight shifted ever to the right. He stood like a king, regal and poised. Like a great warrior, prepared to fight to the death to get what he wanted.  
  
Like her. "Riku?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why did we become friends?"  
  
"Huh?!" He stepped back, shocked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"We're so similar.You'd think we would be fighting every step of the way." Terra smiled, throwing her gaze at the waterfalls.  
  
"I remember when we first met," Riku said, sitting down next to her. "You were eight years old, all alone in the world. You'd saved your father, only to have him die. So shy . . . the only thing you'd do in school was draw and write, draw and write, that's all you thought of.  
  
"You were drawing me and Tidus in a fight, remember? He was actually winning-or so he thought. And I fell on top of you. My sword nearly sliced off your arm. But you didn't care. You cared about getting your sketch finished."  
  
Riku laughed, not looking at her. He smiled at the falling waters. "And you gave it to me. I've still got it, in my room. I-I-"  
  
"You kept it?"  
  
"Of course," Riku smiled. "We've been friends ever since."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
O_O I scare myself sometimes. I've no idea where I got the idea of her not caring about her arm getting cut. O-~ Take it any way you want to! Critics, please! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELLOOOOOO! *echo* 


	5. Trading Spaces, Places, Friends

I got a review! Hooray! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! I'm sorry if it was a little confusing, I'm still trying to get back into this swing. Listening to Dee mutter on and on about Bionicles isn't good for me- especially when I have to write what he says! Anyhow, thanks!  
  
Killer Deals and Lover's Chills  
  
Chapter 5: Trading Spaces, Places, Friends  
  
Sora and Blank sat up nearly half the night learning how to act like a woman, and semipass off as being Terra. He really hadn't understood until now, how hard it was. Why Kairi and Selphie always acted so weird just shot right past him. Now that he had a better idea of what was going on, though, he was ready for the Trading Spaces thing.  
  
Or so he thought.  
  
When they woke up at five o'clock the next morning, the cameras were already set up in the family room. The main cast-Paige, Edward, Frank, and Ty-wouldn't arrive until seven, but Blank had to get home. And Sora had to "get ready" for the whole ordeal.  
  
Whatever that meant.  
  
"We're the blue team, Sora," Mom said. "Get dressed-but not in those white clothes!"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Sora still felt bad about dying Terra's nice clothes, especially the "Cutie" nightshirt. According to Blank, it had been her favorite. He clambered into a pair of loose, practical black pants and an old, already paint-spattered black t-shirt. It was obviously covered in oils and acrylics, so that meant it was meant for the job.  
  
Right?  
  
He ran a hand over the sides of his new body. The sixteen-year-old girl wasn't skinny, and she wasn't exactly beautiful. But, for some reason, it suited her. Him. Arg! Which was he!? A girl or a guy!? A guy's mind in a woman's body. Whoever thought this whole thing up seriously needed some Zoloft and sleeping pills-both strong enough to subdue these weird fantasies.  
  
During the night, he'd read several of Terra's writings, and gone through her sketchbook and journal. She seemed just the type to think of something as weird as this-but at least she knew that it wasn't going to spring out on her. Well, it had, but it wasn't totally her own thoughts.  
  
How had Riku and Blank and whoever else was involved come up with all this? He pulled on a pair of boots, laced with silver string, and tied back her weird hair with a silver hair ribbon. At least it was long enough to get out of his face with the proper amount of force. Blank had taught him so much in the span of about five hours.  
  
He just hoped he could put it into practice, at least enough to fool other people. God, he still couldn't believe he was going on national television in a woman's body. A body, he might add, that didn't seem all that good on television.  
  
Sora stared into the mirror, trying to memorize what she looked like now. He would need it for later. No left eyebrow, no eyelashes. She lost them in a fire, trying to save her father, and failed. No wonder Terra was such an outcast. Maybe his friends could change all that. He hoped so, after all, that was the purpose of this whole thing.  
  
Wasn't it?  
  
Then why hadn't she just come to Destiny Islands, and they left him there? Why did he have to play her, with only his name to remember his identity? Some killer deal this was. And, just to add to all the suspense, Terra's eight-year-old crush was going to be there. Exactly how would Terra respond to Kyle? He didn't know.  
  
And he cared a great deal. Sora didn't want to hurt anyone, especially not Blank. She had worked so hard to get this all kicked into motion. But why? Why had she thrown so much effort in this? With a sigh, he pulled the trademark Trading Spaces smock over her black t-shirt, glad, at least, that the color made the pale skin shine instead of make her appear sickly.  
  
"Sora! Come on, Al just left for Renee's," Mom peeked into the room. "That's where everyone's staying, until it's over. Are you ready to meet the Trading Spaces people?"  
  
"Sure, Mom," Sora smiled. "Let's go."  
  
More cameras lined the lawn, where a huge white tent was set up. The TLC Trading Spaces van was parked in their driveway, while three more vehicles lined the street where the two houses were situated. Five familiar faces stood on the front lawn of Terra's house, and one quite unfamiliar one besides.  
  
Paige Davis, Edward, Frank, Ty, and Blank stood beside several cameras set up at different angles and focuses. Blank was wearing the famous red smock, and a man wearing the same color stood beside her. That must be Kyle. Sora felt his heart cringe and twist; her stomach flip flop; her eyes widen.  
  
He looked exactly like Riku. Except.older. More mature. Longer hair. Still, the silver hair, the smooth, sleek aqua eyes, the steady build, he was Riku in every aspect. Blank glanced over at him, and smiled sadly.  
  
"So you've noticed," she whispered, standing beside him. "Terra fell for his looks, all right. I wish he would go away, he's a real pain in the rear. Don't worry." She giggled under her breath. "He acts nothing like Riku. Kyle is.different, to say the least."  
  
The aqua depths found root on Sora's newly silver eyes. He walked toward them, smiling gently.  
  
"Hello, Sora," he said. "It's been a while."  
  
"So it has."  
  
"I wonder.do you still have that scar, from the cut?"  
  
"Cut?" Sora blinked. Blank slapped her forehead, swearing under her breath.  
  
"Remember when we first met? You were drawing me and Blank fighting," he laughed gently. "I nearly cut off your arm."  
  
"Oh, yes," Sora said, not really understanding.  
  
"I always thought it was brave of you.to keep going, to keep drawing. You really are a good friend, Sora."  
  
Sora blinked and smiled, hoping to get him off so he could ask Blank about it. Luckily, Kyle got the gist.  
  
"What does he mean?"  
  
"That's how Terra and us met," Blank whispered frantically. "We were fighting in the park, and you'd just moved there."  
  
"How did I get cut?"  
  
"He used to sharpen his fingernails," Blank said, her face grim.  
  
Sora cocked her right brow at her.  
  
"Don't do that," Blank said. "Terra doesn't like to draw attention."  
  
"Then how-"  
  
"She isn't a heart-on-the-sleeve person. Sometimes she just starts spewing whatever random things come into her head. It's how she keeps herself and others from asking too many questions."  
  
"But if you don't ask questions, how do you get answers?"  
  
"That's what she's got to learn."  
  
***  
  
Terra woke the next morning to the sound of seagulls cawing just outside her window. Warm sunlight, a lived-in bedroom, and comfortable clothes; this was the way she should have led her life. She knew better, though. Things were never that simple. And they were simplified through withdrawal from the world. Yet, that rule didn't seem to apply to Destiny Islands. In fact, it seemed almost the opposite. If you didn't play and talk and laugh, it was like there was something terribly wrong with you.  
  
Maybe it had been that way in her world, too. But here, it seemed much more obvious. She dressed in colorful clothes, with the red shoes again. Still had the silver chains, but they seemed more natural when there was color all around them. In just the day she had been there, her pale skin had tanned slightly, bringing warmer color to her cheeks.  
  
And Riku.  
  
He wasn't anything like what she'd imagined. The Riku she knew was soft and gentle, protective and strong. She had known him for such a short time, and yet it was like a lifetime.  
  
In fact, it had been.  
  
She just didn't remember it as well as he did.  
  
Terra packed up some clothes and little belongings here and there into a knapsack. Knowing she wouldn't return made her kind of nostalgic; she would miss Destiny Islands. Yet, at the same time, she was ready for the adventure. She was ready to fight to the death at Donald and Goofy's side, when at last she met them.  
  
If she did.  
  
The sunrise painted a glow unlike anything she herself had ever done. A million hues and tones sprinkled the sands with an angelic glow. So this was the dawn. This was her journey.  
  
"Terra! Come on, it's time to go!" Riku and Kairi both were waiting on the Excalibur, waving at Terra to hurry. She helped them tie down the last of the coconuts and her bag, then tugged the strings and ropes that held the sail. The wind was in their favor.  
  
"So long, Destiny Islands!" Riku shouted as they left their small home far on the horizon. Kairi smiled, admiring their handiwork. Perfection in every log, rope and box. Everything was waterproof.  
  
"We left Destiny behind," Terra said, grinning. "But we've set out on something much greater."  
  
"What's that, Terra?" Kairi asked. "Other worlds?"  
  
"Nope," she shook her head. "The journey itself."  
  
***  
  
"Welcome to Trading Spaces, the show where two sets of neighbors trade spaces for some redecorating revolutions," Paige Davis said on the TV screen. "Today, we're in Wichita, Kansas, the Air Capital of the Midwest. Our two teams are taking advantage of a little spring break warm weather to play around. Let's hope there's none of that in our rooms, as they've only got two days to complete everything their designers have in mind."  
  
The screen showed Sora's "Mom" and Blank playing a quick game of paintball while Sora sketched the scene in his notebook. Apparently, he'd gotten Terra's little artistic ability, and was glad that at least he could play that off. Kyle stood on the sidelines, dodging the paint as best he could. Despite not being one of the players in the game, he seemed to be the one being hit the most.  
  
Sora watched, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Our designers, Frank and Edward, and carpenter Ty, also seem to be having a good time. But will they have enough in their minds to stay within budget and time?  
  
"Sora and her mom, Freda, both are wondering what on Earth Edward is going to turn their family room into." The half-red family room appeared on the screen, with only the desk and an old, beat-up sofa Sora's "Mom" had snuck in the night before. "The addition to their house, which is already quite colorful, began its journey toward red, but apparently stopped by the news that we were coming to town."  
  
"We love wild colors, contemporary/modern rooms that just go nuts," Mom said, seated next to a nervous Sora. "I just got that couch last night, to tell the truth."  
  
"Color-oriented is the way my mom is," Sora said. "As long as I can get to the TV, I'm okay. Comfort and wacky, random colors. That's us." He smiled broadly, hoping that Terra's so-called "randomness" had worn off onto him in the night preceding.  
  
The camera switched over to Blank and Kyle.  
  
"And Blank and Kyle, a brother and sister who live on their own, need a new kitchen/dining room/living room." There was a quick view from the front door of the house, in which the living room, kitchen, and dining area all appear together.  
  
"I don't know, it's just all kind of spread out, ya know?" Kyle said. "Maybe something to divide things up, even if it is just a color scheme. We're not quite as wild about color as Sora's mom is, but we're good with anything. Just no geometry. I'm still cross-eyed from my college professors."  
  
"As long as the kitchen table stays or gets replaced, I'm fine with whatever Frank comes out with. I need it for homework and stuff. I'd be interested to see what the creative, random minds of Sora and Frank could come up with, though. Go wild."  
  
Sora, Mom, Blank, and Kyle stood on the front lawn, holding knapsacks and watching Paige hold on to their keys. The cameras were on them, and they were ready with what they had rehearsed.  
  
"Well, since three of you are still in school, I expect you all know what rules are!" Paige shouted. "And two of you were in JROTC, so, rules are to be followed all the way, right?"  
  
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Sora, Kyle, and Blank yelled. Mom glanced at Sora in surprise but shrugged it off.  
  
"So, rule number one!" Paige pointed at Kyle.  
  
"Ma'am, cadets are not to see their own room until finished, ma'am!"  
  
At Blank.  
  
"Ma'am, designs are not to break a specified budget of one thousand dollars, ma'am!"  
  
At Sora.  
  
"MA'AM, the rooms are to be completed within a two day deadline, MA'AM!"  
  
"And you're going to follow all rules, right?"  
  
"MA'AM, YES, MA'AM!"  
  
"All right, let's trade spaces!" Paige handed the key to Sora and he took off toward Blank's house.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Riku, are there any more islands around here?" Terra stretched out on the Excalibur's deck, feeling as if she was bacon in a nonstick pan. "As far as you know?"  
  
"Getting bored already, Terra?" he laughed.  
  
"No.well, okay, yes," Terra said. "When are we going to reach our first new world? This place is so big, so open."  
  
She was right. Blue water stretched out in every direction, the 360 degree horizon showing them no breaks. The watch Terra was wearing said it was almost twelve o'clock, seven hours after they'd shoved off.  
  
"Think everyone will miss us?" Kairi said.  
  
"Of course they will," Terra said, turning over on the deck. "I don't think they've noticed that we're gone yet, though. Mom thought I wouldn't be back till later."  
  
"You didn't tell her?"  
  
"I left a note. She wouldn't have let me go if I just told her outright."  
  
"True."  
  
Riku stared out over the water, silent. The box on which he sat held our food and an extra sail. Terra followed his gaze out over the water. White, fluffy clouds were building on the horizon they were chasing, and a thin line of black was forming beneath them.  
  
"Land," Riku said. "We'll land there first. We should eat what we can while we approach."  
  
"He's got a point," Terra grinned. "Come on, Kai, let's get somethin' ta eat."  
  
As she and Kairi opened coconuts and some dried beef, the black line grew and colored. Greened and blued, the white clouds suggested civilization. It became obvious that the clouds were coming from the island, small as it was. Terra drank her coconut milk and ate her beef. She chomped into the meat of the coconut as the island grew.  
  
As they cleaned up, individual trees and a long white beach came into view. No people on the beach. Plenty more coconuts were right on the beach, along with more seagull eggs and a freshwater stream coming from the undergrowth.  
  
Finally, they beached the raft. Riku and Terra pulled it up, away from high tide, while Kairi struck the trees for more coconuts. The boxes full again, she washed the sail in the fresh water.  
  
"Kairi, stay and guard the raft," Riku said. "Terra and I will explore."  
  
"You be careful."  
  
"We will!"  
  
Into the strange woods they dove, weaving under the fronds and branches. A snake dangled from one of the branches, a tree full of fruit bats, a pig dozing in the mud. No sign of intelligent life. Terra followed Riku, hoping that he knew what he was doing, at least.  
  
"Riku, I'm beginning to think this island is uninhabited."  
  
He sighed. "So am I."  
  
"Let's get some of these mangoes and get going," Terra reached up and picked a pinkish fruit, smiling. "These look really good." She chomped into one. "Not only that, they are good! Mmm, try one, Riku!"  
  
He smiled, trying not to laugh. Did not succeed.  
  
"What are you laughing at?"  
  
Instead of answering, he threw himself on the ground, laughing so hard his face was a bright red. Half-eaten mango cooled it off nicely.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Hey, yourself!" Terra giggled. "Here." She reached down to help him up. Riku took her hand, but instead pulled her down, right on top of him. "Riku! Lemme go!"  
  
"Nope!" he held her tightly to him. Terra struggled to get up, only to have his grip grow firmer. "I won't ever let you go, Terra!"  
  
"Riku.you're hurting me," Terra's breath came up short, her lungs squeezed. He instantly loosened his grip, but did not release her. "Will you please let me up?"  
  
"Nope." He smiled at her.  
  
"You know, this is really uncomfortable," Terra said, her eyes darting left and right. She knew that if her silvers were caught by aqua jewels, she would be in trouble.  
  
"Terra, are you okay?" Riku studied her face, his own lapse and mirthful.  
  
"I'm fine. Now will you please let me up?"  
  
"All right." He released her, pushing her and himself to their feet.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Kairi waved as they walked over the sands toward them. She'd already re-rigged the sail. Time was not on their side-high tide was halfway in. Riku and Terra pushed the raft back onto the sea and away they sailed. One of the boxes-the coconut box Riku sat on-was untied.  
  
"Just leave it," he said. "I'll be okay."  
  
Scene  
  
"Look, another island!"  
  
"Thank God," Terra said, her eyes skyward. "Looks like we'll have to camp there. Storm's coming this way."  
  
Black clouds ruffled the edges of the horizon behind them. A purplish glow was over them, and Terra knew what was happening. But wait.Sora had gone into the Secret Place! What if Terra didn't get taken from Destiny Islands and into Traverse Town?  
  
What if she was destroyed with the world?  
  
What if Riku was destroyed?  
  
But wait.  
  
Riku said that they had delayed it. He said that. Perhaps that meant the location she was in when it happened didn't matter. Terra kicked the coconut box Riku was seated on.  
  
Why did Riku's memory have to be erased?  
  
"Terra, help!" The box was tipping.tipping.tipping.SPLOOSH! Riku fell into the ocean. He surfaced seconds later, spitting and sputtering for help. Terra reached over the side and grabbed his hand.  
  
"I'm sorry, Riku, I forgot we untied the box!"  
  
He only laughed. "Thanks, Terra, I wanted a lovely dunk before we got to the second island."  
  
"I said I was sorry." Terra could feel her face heating up. Though her skin was significantly darker than before, her skin was still very pale, making it all too obvious that she was blushing. Riku took no notice and hauled himself, with her help, back onto the raft. Kairi watched the dark clouds on the horizon, ignoring her friends.  
  
"You should have seen your face! You were as red as-"  
  
"What is it, Kairi?" Terra interrupted him.  
  
"Someone's coming."  
  
Over the choppy waves, a small boat cut through the water faster than a torpedo and just as deadly. ************************************************************************ Cliffie! I left a cliffie! :P ^__^ Stay tuned for the next installment of Killer Deals and Lover's Chills! Should be up in a week. Review. Please? 


	6. Many Voices

Like I said before in Triad of Keys, I've had virus trouble. So, here's all I've got done so far! Here is...Killer Deals and Lover's Chills!  
  
Chapter 6: Many Voices  
  
Sora and Mom (Freda) raced up into Blank's house, Sora for the first time. The room was as open as anything, all with wooden floors and all painted differing shades of blues. It reminded Sora a bit of his room, with all that green. Blank had told him what the technique was called—monochrome. He didn't like the idea very much, and it called true here as well.  
  
Edward, a man with long, slick graying hair tied back at the nape, was seated at the coffee table, rummaging through a stack of paintings—Blank's. Sora knew they were Blank's only because she'd shown him similar works. Always dark, always mysterious, and always a woman portrayed off to the right or left. Usually, they were personas representing herself, Sora, or Renee, a friend Sora had as of yet to meet.  
  
"Three teenage artists and not a single one of their pieces up in here..." he muttered under his breath. Sora cleared his throat gently.  
  
"Hey, Sora, Freda, well. What do you see happening in this room?"  
  
"Color!" Mom shouted at once. Her eyes had gone a frightening shade of violet, her hands clasped, lips twisted in a maniac sort of grin.  
  
"Color, good, Sora?"  
  
"Separation, and perhaps art," he said. "This room needs to reflect Blank—and she's not a canvas."  
  
"Precisely what I was thinking," Edward grinned. "We are going to separate the rooms, I have an interesting valance idea, and paint the furniture, and a surprise."  
  
"What's the surprise?" Sora asked warily. He'd watched just enough of Edward's designs to know to watch out for his "surprises."  
  
"Let's clear out the room, starting with the small things."  
  
  
  
Edward glanced at Sora, with her missing lashes and eyebrow, then at her mother. His hands expertly loosened the top of the paint cans, six gallons of it. Pints surrounded him, accent colors that would all "contradict," as he'd said.  
  
"Any guesses what the living room color is?" he asked.  
  
"Um...red," Sora guessed.  
  
"Black or white," Mom said. Sora and Edward stared. "What? It goes with Blank."  
  
He removed the top, revealing a luscious shade of aqua. Nearly the same color as Kyle and Blank's eyes.  
  
"Well, er..."  
  
"I love it!" Freda shouted at once, drowning out Sora's voice. Sora silently agreed with her.  
  
He unveiled the remaining colors, each to paint a part of the house. Sora was in charge of the kitchen and dining rooms, approximately half of the room. Edward had left to talk with Ty, but Paige came in to help the two women.  
  
"Cut the camera a minute, Bob," she said. "Sora, can I ask you something on- camera? You're not too shy about what happened to your father, right?"  
  
"Um...I guess so," Sora blinked. He knew that Terra would never have consented, but still, it seemed the right thing to do. "I'm glad you warned me."  
  
"No problem," she grinned. "Bob, start up again."  
  
Sora continued rolling the wall in the strawberry pink color Edward had chosen for the kitchen. Up, down, up, down. White became pink. White. Pink. White. Pink. Pink. Pink.  
  
"So, Sora," Paige said. "I hear that you were quite the hero. You were eight, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How did you manage it all?"  
  
"I don't know...all I cared about was my dad," Sora said. He tried to think how Terra would say this, and tried to stay true to it. "How much he cared about that house. The fire coming closer, ever closer. Mom and Al left, but I hid away in the kitchen..."  
  
Sora recounted the tale in its entirety, feeling all eyes on him. And yet, it felt like he had toi say this, say it to the world, to get it out of him. As if it really had happened to him. It sounds crazy, but he felt as if he had amnesia, and slowly was remembering something important to him through telling the tale.  
  
In fact, he had.  
  
He just didn't know it.  
  
***  
  
The boat soared, sliced the water clean, leaving ripples in its wake. Kairi had seen it first, but now Terra watched. Riku's eyes narrowed at it. Ever closer, ever nearer. Now Terra could faintly hear its motor roar, see the outline of a man dressed in a black cloak, his face hidden in a deep hood.  
  
Who was it?  
  
Why was he here?  
  
Surely it wasn't Ansem. Was it?  
  
"Anomaly!" he shouted over the winds. He ripped the hood from his head, revealing brown, scruffy hair, a scar, and a well-defined face. He was probably about nineteen, and  
  
Terra knew him. Terra knew him very well.  
  
Because Squall Lionheart had always reminded her of herself.  
  
"Anomaly, what have you done?" he gunned the engine the last twenty feet, then cut it dead at the raft side. In one smooth movement, he tied the speedboat to the mast and was glaring at Riku before anyone could say a word.  
  
"Nothing any other would not have done," he replied, crossing his arms. "What's it to you, Leon?"  
  
"What's it to me?"  
  
His glare shot to Terra, then returned to Riku.  
  
"She isn't the Keyblade Master. The timeline has been altered, if we don't get him here and ready to fight, we will lose our chance to survive! Have you gone mad?!"  
  
"She is the rightful Master," Riku said, calm. "If you had only waited, you would realize that. Sora was a soul replacement when the mistake was made. The timeline before was wrong, Leon. It was wrong."  
  
Leon glared at Terra again. "You screw up, woman, and it will be you who pays the consequences."  
  
"Wha-What?" Kairi glanced between us all.  
  
"I'd like to see," said Leon, smirking. "How this works, when the seventh princess' heart is lost."  
  
Leon descended into his boat, as Riku sliced the rope holding it to the mast. The engine gunned again and Leon flew into a black portal. Riku sighed deeply, glancing to Terra, to Kairi, and returned his troubled aqua eyes to the approaching island.  
  
"What's going on?" Kairi asked. "Who was that? You guys know him. What was he talking about?"  
  
"Kai . . . "  
  
Terra put her back to them both, running a quick hand through her hair. Her throat closed in on itself. It was hard to cry, so hard for the tears to wet her eyes. Terra had not shed a tear in such a long time. The liquid just did not form as it had. Maybe it was biological.  
  
She didn't know. But even now it was hard to cry.  
  
Hard to say everything she meant to say.  
  
Why had she come here?  
  
Why?  
  
"I...I'm sorry, Kairi," she choked. "I'm so sorry...I should...I wish..."  
  
"It's not your fault, TJ," Riku whispered, barely audible. "It's Blank, Sora, me, and—"  
  
"Wa-wa-wait," Kairi waved her hands around, stopping him. "It's no one's fault. I don't care why what is happening is happening. I want to know why you didn't tell me and why that guy was saying that you did something wrong."  
  
Riku opened his mouth and swallowed a wave of salt water. The water rolled over the raft, soaking all three occupants and sending the box of coconuts overboard. Terra came up sputtering, hugging the mast. With a shake of his silver mane, Riku leaped to the mast and pulled the ropes around the sail, cutting wind.  
  
"Paddle! We need to get to the island!"  
  
"Go! Go!"  
  
Paddles in hand, the trio scooped water back, propelling them forward. On to the island that offered greater protection than the raft they floated on. Riku shouted "STROKE!" over the winds, and at last, the paddles touched two feet into the sandy bottom.  
  
Riku and Terra grabbed the ropes holding the raft together and hauled it on the beach. Kairi jumped off and shoved it from behind, far up into the thicket of palms. Rain spattered on the white sand, graying a colored world.  
  
"Oh, my God, omigod, omigod, it's Andrew all over again," Terra whispered as she dove into a cave behind Kairi and Riku, using the raft as a leaning door.  
  
"We should be safe in here," Riku said.  
  
He stared at the wall of the cave. Kairi's head cocked to the side, but Terra knew the look on his face. Guilt. Guilty over what was the question in her mind. He was the only one there who really knew what, at least mostly, was going on. Information had been withheld from herself, from Kairi, probably from Sora, Al, Renee, and a thousand others who were entwined in the lives of Terra Jem and Sora.  
  
"Safe from a storm, perhaps."  
  
A new voice penetrated the walls of the cave. Kairi fell back on the floor in surprise, and Terra quickly followed suit. Riku, however, grit his teeth. His eyes roamed the stalactites and stalagmites of the small cave.  
  
For a few moments, nothing but the swish of his silver hair and the pit-pat of the rain and the howling wind could be heard. A peculiar smell met Terra's nostrils, that of nothing she had ever sensed before. Like a combination between wet dog and cold steel, but strangely sweet, like cinnamon or brown sugar cookies.  
  
"You think you're so smart, Anomaly," said the disembodied voice silkily, a feminine curve Terra had never quite achieved herself. "To have brought the true Keyblade Master to this world, to have organized the perfect plan of action for the seventh princess, to have avoided, perhaps, the paradox that is Kingdom Hearts.  
  
"But hear me now, Anomaly, should you succeed, a great blessing will fall in this world and the other. Should you succeed. Now, there is the little trouble of the seventh princess, you know."  
  
"What?" Terra shouted. "Who are you? What are you trying to accomplish?"  
  
"Keyblade Master, this is none of your concern."  
  
"Of course it is," she smiled. "You're talking about my friend, to him, right in front of me. I may not understand everything, but I know enough to say that I don't like where you're going with this."  
  
"Your friend, eh?" the voice laughed aloud, high and slightly squeaky, ringing against the cave walls. "We shall see, Keyblade Master, we shall see. Do you recall that game you played once, the first one you completed?"  
  
"Yeah, Final Fantasy IX, of course," Terra blinked at the wall. "Why?"  
  
"Keep it in mind, Keyblade Master. As for you, Anomaly, I see that you did, indeed, overlook the safety of the seventh princess. Were you expecting maybe to save her before she was taken away to Hollow Bastion? Or perhaps that your sharp-tongued 'friend' would turn lesbian and take her in her heart? I doubt the latter."  
  
"Hey! I like lesbians!"  
  
"I know you do," chuckled the voice. "But you yourself are not one, Keyblade Master. My point is, Anomaly, I will keep the Seventh safe, for a price."  
  
"What price would that be?" Riku said, glancing at Kairi out of the corner of his eye. Terra knew in that instant that he loved Kairi. He loved her more than anything or anyone in the world, in that one glance.  
  
"Let Sora and Al see it."  
  
Neither Terra nor Riku could see the disembodied voice's face, but they knew from its sound that she was smirking. With one glance at Riku, Terra knew that this was not a part of the plan. This was not the way he'd meant it to play out. He hadn't wanted to be played this time.  
  
He didn't want this to be a game.  
  
A game.  
  
"Granted," Riku said, his voice stone.  
  
"Wait, that isn't fair!" Terra shouted. "You caught him 'tween a rock and a hard place, you! Why do you want my brother and Sora to be able to play a game and watch us here? Is this just a game to you? Is it a game!?"  
  
"Yes, Keyblade Master. A game. It has always been as such."  
  
The voice laughed. The steady pit-pat pit-pat of the rain returned, drowning them all in the loudest of all silences. Kairi glanced between them, smoothing her short skirt gently with one hand.  
  
"What is going on?"  
  
**** What's up with these voices? 


	7. The Lottery Effect

Uh...I don't own Linkin Park?  
  
Chapter 7: The Lottery Effect  
  
The day came to an abrupt close when Frank and Edward left, leaving a Trading Spaces legacy behind them—NO HOMEWORK! SHOCK! Blank called Sora and Freda agreed to drive them all to Pizza Hut to discuss things not-Trading- Spaces-like. Of course, the first thing Freda asked when Blank slid into the front seat was:  
  
"WHAT COLOR ARE YOU PAINTING OUR LIVING ROOM?!"  
  
"We're not allowed to know, Mom!" Sora shouted. "Leave them alone."  
  
"As always, the mediator," Kyle chuckled lightly. "Some things never change, eh, Sora?"  
  
"Says the Riku lookalike," Sora murmured under her breath. She was getting used to thinking of herself as a girl. She smiled at Kyle as he slid, quite close, into the seat next to her.  
  
"So, Sora, how's school going?"  
  
"Um...I would've figured Blank would tell you, since we're, ya know, in the same grade and all..."  
  
Truth is, Blank hadn't gotten around to school life that night.  
  
Sora hadn't a clue even what school she supposedly attended, or what it was like.  
  
"Yes, you would think so," he chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulder casually, as if it was nothing. Sora's stomach fluttered. Why? Why? Why? Her back stiffened against the seat, the fluttering turning to an all-out attack on her stomach muscles.  
  
"Kyle, get your hand off her," Blank said, not turning to look. "I've told you before, Sora doesn't like to be touched like when she was little." At this, she did glance back. "Some things do change."  
  
Kyle obliged his sister. "Jeez, B, you'd think I was groping her or somethin'."  
  
"Kyle!" Freda warned.  
  
"Sorry, Missus J, just trying to keep the mood light," he laughed. "We're supposed to be friends, and I can't even remember the last time we talked, Sora. Blank's right, though. Something's different about you. Not something bad, just something...different."  
  
"Try the black clothes," Freda said. "Or the missing eyelashes."  
  
"I never did see you after what happened to your dad," Kyle said, his aqua eyes lamenting. "Hey, Missus J, we're supposed to be meeting with Al and Renee, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"All right, it'll be good to see the little squirt," Kyle grinned and leaned back against the seat as Freda pulled to a stop at a red light. She took a right-on-red and continued toward a sign in the distance. "Hey, Sora, you never answered my question. Still have the scar?"  
  
"Of-of course," Sora said, and rolled up her sleeve to reveal a long, thin white line, shaped quite accurately like an "X" from the pages of a book. Sora found it hard to believe that this was an accidental mark and that it was the product of Kyle's sharp fingernails.  
  
The harsh sound of drums and yelling met Sora's terrified ears for a moment. Freda had turned on the radio, apparently chagrined at finding it on the station it was. So, inevitably, it must mean it was "Sora's" favorite music.  
  
"Linkin Park. Crawling. You like that music?" Kyle grinned. "Awesome writer, artist, and great taste in music? You're no eight-year-old, Sora."  
  
Not knowing whether to take it as a compliment or not, Sora nodded and smiled back. Freda sighed and turned back the knob to the station.  
  
"One of my favorite songs..."  
  
Something inside me That pulls beneath the surface  
  
Consuming, Confusing  
  
It's like a self-control I fear is never-ending Controlling I can't see What's inside myself again My walls are closing in I felt this way before  
  
Some strange, garbled word sounded in the car, a powerful, vibrating sound that Sora could not recognize. It was haunting...and yet it was beautiful. Especially the way Kyle sang it with such conviction.  
  
Crawling in my skin  
  
These wounds they will not heal Fear is how I fall Confusing what is real Crawling in my skin These wounds they will not heal Fear is how I fall Confusing what is real  
  
Sora did not know it then, but as Freda shut the car off, cutting the sad, slow, strangely melodic song off, he had just been given an answer. An answer that he would need to return, should he want it.  
  
Insanity and organized chaos, an oxymoron if I ever heard one before, controlled this universe and many others.  
  
Why else would they create a show called Survivor?  
  
  
  
The inside of Pizza Hut, however, was tinkling with the floating tune of a piano. Sora was immediately bored with it, of course, but the colors of the area caught his newly artistic eye. It was like a big piece of art in every direction, from the pale glow of the haloes of lights to the way they reflected off the deep green leather seats. Even the waitress was pleasing to the eye, as she spoke to them with a faintly Southern accent.  
  
"Hello, welcome to Pizza Hut, table for four?"  
  
"Yes'm," Kyle bowed lightly at the waist. "Might I say, you've lovely eyes."  
  
"My husband thinks so, too," she said, her tone a little more cool. "Right this way, please, an' mind your heads, this little light's hit a couple a peeps today."  
  
"Thanks for the warning," Sora said, ducking a little lower to miss the light. So the atmosphere was a little less classy and a little more family, so what? They were a family, sort of.  
  
"So, Sora, what college are you planning on?"  
  
"Um—"  
  
"Hetchinton or something of that sort," Freda waved Kyle's questioning off. "It doesn't really matter at the moment, she's still a junior. What I want to know is when she's gonna start on that English paper."  
  
"Erm..."  
  
"Tomorrow night," Blank said. "After the TS people leave. We're gonna work on it together, right, Sora?"  
  
"Er...right, Blank."  
  
"What about a major?"  
  
"Art."  
  
"Would you like to come see my race this Saturday?"  
  
"Wha-What?" Sora blinked. Where had that come from?  
  
"Kyle! I told you not to just spring it on her like that!" Blank punched him in the arm.  
  
"Are you ready to order?" the waitress had returned.  
  
"Yes, two pizzas, one cheese, on pepperoni, and an order of breadsticks," Freda said. No one argued. Even Sora couldn't argue. Perhaps it was meant to be that way.  
  
"It'll be ready in a few."  
  
"Thank you," Blank said.  
  
"So, how about it, Sora?" Kyle leaned in from the opposite side. His leg brushed against hers under the table. Sora pulled back her legs, but leaned in on the table. "Watch me race?"  
  
"Sure," Sora said. "Why not?"  
  
***  
  
"Kairi..." I began. But I couldn't say anything more. It was like a bit of plastic had lodged itself in my throat, and I was trying my best to make it come out.  
  
"No, Terra," he said. "Don't feel that way. This is all my fault." His foot shuffled languidly against the stony ground, then lashed out against a stalagmite, snapping it from the base.  
  
"I'm the seventh princess, whoever she is," Kairi stated calmly. "Aren't I, Terra."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And our world—this world—is some kind of game."  
  
"Kingdom Hearts."  
  
"And you're not from this world, are you, Terra. Somehow, you've been switched with someone else. Am I right?"  
  
"His name was Sora," I said, smiling at her, feeling the tug of the rain outside in my own eyes. "You and he were in love, so very much in love. But..."  
  
I stopped short and glanced at Riku.  
  
"You're very precious to all of us, Kairi," Riku said. "Probably more than you can imagine. When you first came to the island, I don't think there was a person there who could say you weren't special. Somehow, I knew that this was to be. Everything just fell into place, like some big puzzle. I met this girl...an older girl, and a boy.  
  
"They told me why I kept seeing everything in that kind of view. How I knew everything that was going to happen, how I came to be so bored with everything. I found out from the girl that she lived in the world that the true Keyblade Master lived. That somehow, the dimensions became crossed at their birth, that they were supposed to be born the other way around.  
  
"I am an Anomaly, a person who can sense the way a timeline truly should go. I could sense the game behind our lives, controlling every movement, every sound and word we spoke. We're trapped here, Kairi, and only Sora and I knew it. Sora was so weak, though, so much so that he couldn't sense the game. He only knew that things weren't right.  
  
"I met with that girl and boy and we decided together we would right things. Then, when it started up, I realized just how much I'd changed everything. Terra...you don't realize the magnitude of this change at all, just because you already knew what was going on. Sora's senses are blocked, because he's back where he belongs. But you should be able to sense everything.  
  
"I'm sorry." Riku refused to face them. "I'm so sorry I brought either of you into this."  
  
Terra set her jaw and stepped toward him. She spun him around to face her and let him have it.  
  
"I don't care who the hell you think you are," she snarled. "But you will not take that sort of blame on yourself. Blank helped you, did she not?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Then stop stabbing yourself over the past and help everybody face the future. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get any of us anywhere."  
  
The Heartless chose that moment to appear from under the ground. Little black monsters, shaped like wingless flies, ready to fight with their little claws. Terra's eyes grew to the size of beach balls.  
  
"We can't fight them, can we?" Terra whispered, her voice hoarse.  
  
"Nope," Riku said, grimly backing toward the howling mouth of the cave.  
  
"Th-then where do we go?" Kairi asked, her back to the wall.  
  
"Outside."  
  
"Into the storm?!"  
  
"Into the storm," Riku said. He kicked the makeshift door out and they ran out, straight into the rain, wind, and apparent hurricane.  
  
Terra looked up. The black and violet orb that she knew so well from the game hung in the sky, like some doomsday rock ready to strike. The Heartless sprung from the ground on either side of them.  
  
"Like I promised!" The disembodied voice had returned. "She will be safe, little Anomaly. No worries." The voice stopped, and so did Kairi. A new wind, warm and comforting, whipped around her, taking her away.  
  
"You'd better!" Riku shouted. He sighed and turned to Terra, his silver hair drenched. He looked like a really cute little puppy. "Looks like this is it, Terra. This is goodbye, for now."  
  
"Don't give in, Riku," she said. "Don't give in to the darkness."  
  
KEYBLADE...KEYBLADE...  
  
Terra didn't know whether to run, cry, or laugh at the sound of the voice, the same one who had promised to keep Kairi. It shouted over the din of the rain and wind, flying over everything. It was in her head, yet dominated everything else.  
  
"Ri-Riku! I don't know what to do! How do I fight—"  
  
"You'll learn later," he grabbed her arm, just like before. "I'm not going anywhere. I don't care about the stupid story anymore. This isn't Kingdom Hearts any more. This is our story, and we'll tell it like we want to tell it." He grinned.  
  
"You mean it?" Terra grinned. She was rudely interrupted by a deep scratch on her arm, as the Heartless drew back to attack again. Blood streamed down her arm as she struck her own stance.  
  
"You're too open," Riku said. "Put your foot closer in, bend your knees."  
  
"Like this?"  
  
"Yeah. Now, hit it!"  
  
The Keyblade firmly in her grip, she swung down as if she were trying to hit a really big rat with a baseball bat. Despite the unorthodox use of the Keyblade, the Heartless blew to pieces, sending green orbs in every direction. Terra always wondered what it would be like to pick one of these things up.  
  
She scooped one up and watched it dissolve right into her flesh. In a quick flash of bluish light, her previous scratch was all but gone. Still in awe, she stood there dumbly for a moment.  
  
"Terra, your right!"  
  
She swiped the ground to her right. The Heartless littered more green orbs. Terra scooped another couple in her hands, then turned back to Riku.  
  
"Do we just wait for Darkside or what?"  
  
"We wait for her. Until then, we fight."  
  
LIGHTBLADE...LIGHTBLADE...  
  
"What? Lady, wha'chu talkin'?" Terra shouted to nothing. Well, actually, she was speaking to the disembodied voice, who had just spoken up again.  
  
Instead of answering, the light dumped a very simple white katana, complete with a pommel with a little key chain, into Riku's shocked arms. Terra blinked. Riku shook the rain out of his eyes. The Heartless pounced, and made both of them forget anything about the story.  
  
*** -_- I couldn't help giving him a weapon. Riku, unable to defend himself? Cha, right! 


	8. Where Oh Where?

Hiya! How ya'll doin'? Sorry I'm late, I'm a Senior, ya'll know how it 'tis. Hey, guess what? YESTERDAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY! I AM 18! I'm an adult. shoots a furtive glance round Riiiiiiiight.  
  
I need reviews! I'm bleeding from lack of love!  
  
Please?  
  
Oh, well, here's Chappie 8.  
  
Chapter 8: Where Oh Where?  
  
The little bell on the Pizza Hut door jangled once again. Sora had barely glanced up when he was knocked clean out of his chair and pulled into one of the worst versions of a hug he'd ever come across. He later found out that it was properly termed as a "glomp," something he would be on the receiving end of for quite some time.  
  
"Sorasorasorasora! AIiiiiiiIIEEE! I missed you SSOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much, Sora!"  
  
"Renee, get off her before you kill her," Blank smirked in an unmasked effort not to laugh. "Oh, pizza's here, look, 'Nee."  
  
Sora stood, dumbfounded, as the monstrously hyper girl swung back around to attack the pizza, only to discover that there wasn't one. Al had the decency to hide his smile as he slid in next to Kyle.  
  
"Hey, squirt, you grew!" Kyle chuckled. Al grinned.  
  
"Sora, sit down!" Renee shouted, patting the seat beside her. Gulping in his mind alone, he slid in beside her. "So, have you beat Kingdom Hearts yet? We all know you like Riku! There's no point denying it!"  
  
She shot furtive grins all around the table.  
  
Sora, however, was grimacing in disgust. Him and Riku?! Who had ever thought of that? Then again, here he was, in a woman's body, feeling little back-flips every time Kyle moved. What was going on? Maybe something had gone wrong and the dimensions were trying to mold back together again.  
  
"Pizza!" Renee shouted shrilly. Indeed, the pies had arrived.  
  
Everyone dug in, and for a while no one spoke. A few minutes into the meal, Kyle suddenly sat up and looked at his surroundings again. Blank glanced at him and nodded to his plate. He nodded slowly and resumed eating. Renee watched the entire exchange with a gleam in her eyes unlike any Sora had ever seen.  
  
Kyle, who had been so loud and rambunctious prior to this, remained quiet throughout the rest of the meal. Despite everything that had happened, Sora did not find this too unusual, and so continued eating without qualms. Blank seemed uneasy, but she was good with it. Sora assumed she was just worried about the room.  
  
  
  
Blank and Kyle went back to the Jem household, Freda and Terra to the Maps. With Kyle's strange behavior still on the brain, he settled down to sleep. His brain was still swarming with bits of information, still on that strange song he'd heard in the car, still musing over a thousand different worries. He finally fell asleep.  
  
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on a strange island. Rain was falling all around, wind whipping the trees from their roots, and yet he was still warm and dry. He looked down and gasped aloud. The sound was snatched away in the wind, though he felt it not.  
  
Sora was back in his own body.  
  
"H-Hello?" he whispered hoarsely. His voice! "It's back! I'm back! But...where am I?"  
  
"Ri-Riku! I don't know what to do! How do I fight—"  
  
"You'll learn later."  
  
"Riku!" Sora shouted to him. It was Riku! And that...that's Terra. The real Terra? "I'm not going anywhere. I don't care about the stupid story anymore. This isn't Kingdom Hearts anymore. This is our story, and we'll tell it like we want to tell it." He grinned at her.  
  
"You mean it?" Terra looked at him hopefully. Yeah, that was definitely the real Terra. Her smile turned to a grimace. A black creature had suddenly struck her in the arm. Blood streamed down her arm as she struck her own stance. It wasn't a very good one, either.  
  
"You're too open," Riku said. "Put your foot closer in, bend your knees."  
  
"Like this?"  
  
"Yeah. Now, hit it!"  
  
She swung down with what looked like all of her strength. Despite the unorthodox way she dealt the blow, the creature blew apart, sending green orbs in every direction. She scooped one up and it dissolved right into her flesh. In a quick flash of bluish light, her previous scratch was all but gone. She stood there dumbly for a moment.  
  
"Terra, your right!"  
  
She swiped the ground to her right. The creature littered more green orbs. Terra scooped another couple in her hands, then turned back to Riku.  
  
"Do we just wait for Darkside or what?"  
  
"We wait for her. Until then, we fight."  
  
LIGHTBLADE...LIGHTBLADE...  
  
"What? Lady, wha'chu talkin'?" Terra shouted to nothing.  
  
Instead of answering, the light dumped a very simple white katana, complete with a pommel with a little key chain, into Riku's shocked arms. Terra blinked. Sora blinked. Riku renewed his grip on his new weapon.  
  
Sora watched them strike the creatures again and again. It wasn't hard for them to kill the things, but the sheer numbers of them made Sora cringe.  
  
"I wonder—why—that voice—wanted Sora—and Al—to see what—is going on—here," Terra said, swiping more and more of the black creatures from existence.  
  
"I don't—know—best not—to think—about it—right now."  
  
"That must be why Kingdom Hearts restored itself to the other world!" Sora whispered to himself.  
  
"I'm glad—that Kairi—is safe."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I wonder where—she's keeping—her?"  
  
"No idea—"  
  
"SORA! Wake up! Day two!"  
  
Sora's eyes flew open. He was once again in Terra's body. Freda hauled her to his feet and walked off to get dressed herself.  
  
***  
  
Terra hacked and hacked and hacked at the Heartless. Her arms were growing more tired with every swing. Riku thrust and parried as well as any fencer Terra'd ever seen. Better even than Kyle had been when she was younger. Even with his skill, however, he was growing tired, too.  
  
Just as quickly as they'd appeared, the Heartless vanished into the sand. Riku dropped to his knees, resting his Lightblade on the sand. Terra followed his example, panting against the chrome of the blade itself.  
  
"Steel yourself," he said. "Darkside is coming."  
  
"How?" Terra sucked in a ragged breath. "I mean, isn't it really weak for his size?"  
  
"No. Terra, don't fool yourself, this isn't the game, this isn't a game," Riku stared into her blue eyes carefully. "Darkside is the dark side of you. It's how dark your heart is."  
  
She blinked and swore under her breath. "Then steel yourself. This isn't going to be pretty."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
That's when it appeared.  
  
Darkside looked similar to its game counterpart. Terra readied the Keyblade and as soon as the enormous hand descended, she attacked. A fervor quite unknown to her had blossomed in her heart. This wasn't Riku or Blank or the game's influence. She felt like this was her turn to show the world that she wasn't a goth as she'd shown herself to be.  
  
That she was an individual, the one who didn't like Trading Spaces, who didn't want to do what her mother wanted every second out of the day, that she wasn't crazy, that she was only hiding in her randomness, that she didn't not like...that she didn't like...  
  
Okay, maybe she did like Riku better than Sora, now that she'd met him.  
  
"This is for every time I've ever sat down to watch that stupid show!" she bashed Darkside and felt a surge of power unlike anything she'd ever experienced.  
  
The ground rumbled beneath her.  
  
Darkside flew into the dark orb above them.  
  
Riku ran toward her, reaching out for her hand.  
  
She grabbed for him.  
  
He took her hand, hugged her close.  
  
"I'm not going to lose you," he whispered. "Not now. Not right now."  
  
Everything went dark.  
  
  
  
"I'm glad we found you first. Where did you get that?"  
  
"I don't know. The voice that took the Seventh and gave Terra the Keyblade gave it to me."  
  
"That's odd. Why would it do that?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You don't know a lot, for being the one who started this whole mess."  
  
Terra moaned. Wave after wave of pain struck her. It didn't stay in one place for very long, but traveled all along her spine, into her head and limbs and torso. The voices in the room stopped making sense, stopped being relevant. Blurs swam across her vision. A silver, a yellow, and so much red. A brown, a glint of gold, and black—black! A Heartless!  
  
"Heartless," she murmured. "Lemme 'lone, you 'bom'nations." She swatted at the black blur.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Terra, stop! Wake up!"  
  
"Huh? Riku, that you?"  
  
"Yes. Can't you see?"  
  
"Nah, ever'thin's all blurry an' all an'—"  
  
"Don't you remember anything? The island? Darkside? That dog?"  
  
"Don' 'member no dog..."  
  
"I think you overdid it, Leon," said one of the new voices. Terra still couldn't see anything clearly.  
  
"Give her a Potion. She'll be fine, for now."  
  
A hot liquid splashed down Terra's throat, healing cuts and bruises along the way. The pains disappeared and her vision at last returned. The instant healing power of the Potion was a new effect to her, so she was still slightly wobbly.  
  
"You okay, kid?" A scantily-clad woman bent over her, smiling gently. "Leon hit you pretty hard. He thought you were a Heartless, too!"  
  
Terra laughed. "Who'd I hit?"  
  
"Him," laughed the woman. "I'm Yuffie, by the way."  
  
"I know," Terra sat up in the bed. "What happened?"  
  
"Starting where?" Riku lay down behind her.  
  
"After Darkside."  
  
"You blacked out. When we arrived in Traverse Town—which in itself is beyond me—I woke up to find you gone. Apparently, you were sleepwalking."  
  
"Leon was out walking," Yuffie said, picking up where he left off. "And someone came up from behind him and WHAMO! Down you went. Had we been able to see the screen, I'd say your health bar would be all but gone."  
  
"And I came to the hotel, knowing that's where they'd go if they found you," Riku shrugged. "Simple as that." He stared at the ceiling, propped up on his arms.  
  
"Any idea why that voice wanted Sora and Al to see everything?" Terra stood. "I mean, I understand Sora: it's obvious he'd want to know what the heck was going down here. But my brother? Why Al?"  
  
"We don't know any more than you do. But we do know that they're showing more than just Sora and Al. Anyone in your room can see it. Blank, Renee, your mom, Kyle—"  
  
"Kyle can see me?" Terra's stomach gave a sickening lurch. "Kyle? When did he come back?"  
  
"A couple of days ago," Yuffie answered, grinning. "They're doing a...now what was that thing called? A...TB snow?"  
  
"You mean a TV show? Sora's on TV. Wow," Terra shook her head, bemused. "Now. That's interesting. What show?"  
  
"Trading Spaces."  
  
"Shock 101, are you serious?!" Terra whirled to face Yuffie with a furtive laugh crossing her cheeks. "Sora is on Trading Spaces? With my mother? Who're the designers?"  
  
"We...er...don't really know that..."  
  
"Frank and Doug," Leon pushed off the wall. "It doesn't matter, not right now."  
  
"Of course it matters, she's my mother!" Terra shouted, suddenly angry. "I'm going back, you hear me? I'm going back as soon as this thing is done. And I'll be with my friends again, and I'll get to see Kyle again, and...I...I don't know."  
  
Terra collapsed against the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. "I don't know..."  
  
"Terra?"  
  
"Leon, look!"  
  
"Terra, this isn't the time!" Leon tugged her to her feet, shoving the Keyblade into her hands. "Let's go, you two!"  
  
***  
  
Hmm. Strange, ay? No Donald and Goofy. WHERE ARE THEY? I don't know. Haven't decided yet. Actually, yes I have, I'm just not tellin'. *Raspberry* See ya'll soon!  
  
Could ya'll stop my bleedin' heart and review a little? 


	9. No More!

Well, I'm just gonna load what I've got.  
  
Chapter 9: No More!  
  
Day two flew by, as Sora completed the Destiny Islands motif in the combined room. The skies were blue, the sands weren't really sands, and the wind caused by the leafy fan wasn't real. For the first time in days, however, Sora felt that he was home, in a place he knew and cherished.  
  
And soon it would be gone. He'd have to go back to Terra's house. At least he would get to see what Kyle and Blank had done in the living room of the Jem house. It was a small consolation.  
  
"And one last touch," grinned Edward. He hung a painting Sora had done earlier that day of the group: Edward, Frank, Paige, Ty, Freda, Blank, Kyle, and herself. "We're done! Let's go see your room!"  
  
Freda squealed at the top of her lungs and Sora grinned as they ran out of the room. Paige was waiting at the front door for them. They closed their eyes, as was custom, and were led into the room. Sora felt something close behind him.  
  
"Well, you've worked hard on your friends' room," Paige said. "Open your eyes and see what all your hard work has brought."  
  
Sora blinked. The walls were a bright green, the ceiling the color of the sky with several white, fluffy clouds, and the floor was a stone step path. An enormous castle-like structure held the TV screen. They'd taken the couch and transformed it into a huge four-poster bed, draped in deep red. They'd hung a painting on the wall, one Sora recognized instantly as one of Terra's.  
  
It was a scattered group of people, all wearing black cloaks and holding wooden sticks. He recognized some of them despite a few artist's twitching. Terra, Blank, Renee, Al, and...himself. Sora, in his own body. There were five other kids in the picture.  
  
A boy with messy black hair and green eyes the same color as all of the walls. A girl with flame red hair was standing beside a boy with the same colored hair. They must be related. A girl with bushy, curly brown hair. And a boy with white blonde hair and these silver eyes, the same color as Terra's own. Sora was drawn to this painting, drawn as if he'd never seen it before.  
  
"I love it!" Freda shrieked, grappling Sora into a tight hug, leaping around the room.  
  
"What do you like about it?" Paige asked, laughing.  
  
"The theme, for one," Freda grinned. "Harry Potter is one of our favorite book series."  
  
"I like the TV stand," Sora said.  
  
  
  
At last everything died down. The vans left, the cameras were gone, Al was back in his own bed and so happy about it. Sora collapsed in the completely green room, the remains of Terra in this world. He stared at the painting on the wall, with the young woman and the shadow of a—  
  
"WHAT?!" he yelped, jumping up to stare at the picture.  
  
The painting had changed! Sora could now clearly see the face of the woman. Terra smiled sadly out from among the trees, standing beside a small shack. A garden filled with colossal pumpkins sat to the right of the painting.  
  
Terra was dancing with a man now, a man whose face was shrouded in the shadows of the forest. In the left-hand corner of the painting, however, a new couple had appeared. Sora's own face smiled out at him, his short, spiky hair and blue eyes clear on the canvas. It was as if the painting had been made that way. He was dancing too, with a woman whose face was as shrouded as the man Terra held in her arms.  
  
"So you've noticed." Al's voice shook him from his study of the painting. Sora glanced at the boy, who now looked so wise. "Art is said to reflect nature. However, this is not entirely true."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Art is made to reflect the nature of the creatures of power," Al said, running his hand against Sora's cheek. "You don't understand, but you will. You've been given a real killer deal, man."  
  
Sora felt a chill run down his spine. "You still remember?"  
  
"Yes." The eyes that looked so much like Riku's held him in. "The dimensions are crashing. A higher power is trying to right it all. However, since the alterations were made so quickly, the correct way of things long ago was lost. So now we are lost."  
  
"Wha—ah? Wait, you've lost me."  
  
Al sighed, whirling to face him, his face pink, his hands fisted. "Don't you get it?! If we don't get everything back together again, everything's going to collapse on itself! Then we'll have more to deal with than just the Heartless—we'll have the depths of three universes to contend with!"  
  
"Three?"  
  
"Yes, three," Al said, fuming. "Three. Kingdom Hearts—that in itself a terrible catastrophe of broken darkness. This one. And the duel-world universe of Harry Potter, which is the very source of this one's power. Without Harry Potter, we're all screwed!"  
  
Sora blinked. "Who's Harry Potter?"  
  
***  
  
"Leave the small ones—go for the master!" Leon shouted as Terra and Riku tumbled into the Alleyway, Keyblade and Lightblade tight in fist. Riku squeezed his eyes shut.  
  
"I should've taught you a few simple sword strokes..."  
  
"Now's not the time," Terra said. "Let's go to the Third District. Donald and Goofy will be there."  
  
"How can you—"  
  
"Let's go!" She tugged his arm as he had, interrupting him.  
  
"Terra, they might not be there, remember?" Riku shouted as they raced along the alleyway toward the main square. "We're early."  
  
"Then let's get some experience with these things," she said.  
  
"Terra, this isn't the game anymore, remember? We don't work with 'experience points' or 'health points'. This is real life here."  
  
She halted, the Keyblade limp in her hands. Had she really thought that she'd only been sucked into a game? Riku was right. Real life was much more scary. And a lot less predictable.  
  
It just hit her, just how much everything hung on her. If she died, she wasn't coming back. If something happened to her, then perhaps something would happen to Sora, and if something happened to him...maybe there was more at stake here than she'd thought.  
  
"Real...life...Riku? I think I've made a terrible mistake. I...I—"  
  
"Terra!"  
  
Riku jumped in front of her, blocking a blow that could quite possibly have killed her. The Heartless disappeared back into the cobblestone of the square, leaving behind a very frightened Terra.  
  
"It's attitudes like that, Terra, that keep this world a simple little game," Riku said. His voice was choked, heavy. "We're only a game to people in your world. I thought you could understand. I thought you'd be able to, once you saw the fact that we're living, breathing, thinking beings, not characters on a screen."  
  
"R-Riku...I'm sorry," Terra clasped the silver chain at her neck, feeling the metal dig into her skin, drawing blood. "I'm so-sorry."  
  
And with that, she turned from him and ran blindly away. She didn't even hear him shout after her, nor did she see the Third District door open as she ran through. Terra didn't notice the door swing back open as she raced into the square, nor hear the quaking blocks rising into the air.  
  
It wasn't until she ran headlong into a Soldier Heartless that she opened her eyes.  
  
"You just had to run away." Riku ground to a halt beside her as she put the Soldier out of its misery. "We'll talk about this later. Survive first, argue later."  
  
"But—"  
  
"It's coming! Look, Terra, we haven't got time for this."  
  
Purple body parts rained down from the sky. Terra set her jaw, wiped away her tears, and cocked the Keyblade like a bat. She was ready.  
  
"Go for the limbs! The limbs!"  
  
"Riku?" Terra glanced at him. He shrugged. Neither of them had spoken.  
  
"Just do it!"  
  
"Why do I get the feeling I don't like these voices screaming at me?" Terra muttered. Then, as if she was the type to strike at rats in the house, she whacked the right foot. The hands swung in a wide arch, throwing her off the feet.  
  
"Careful!"  
  
"This is harder than it looks!" Terra yelled.  
  
"It's your funeral!"  
  
"Look here, you stupid—" Terra added several hearty curses. "I've had it up to here with stupid disembodied voices and their advice. When am I actually going to see the first one, and why the hell did you show up?"  
  
The voice was silent.  
  
Terra's eyes filled with a strange red hue, and that was the last she saw before her world went inky black.  
  
***  
  
"Why does everything in this world have to do with literature?" Sora sighed as Al flung seven thick volumes on his bed, each labeled Harry Potter. "Or art?" "Asking that's like asking the wind if it has a name," Al said. "It may indeed, but it won't answer you. I don't know any more than you do. By the way, have you finished that English paper yet?"  
  
"No, of course not," Sora shook his head. "I don't even know what it's about. Blank was supposed to stay and help me."  
  
"She's going to, don't worry. You can write the paper on the first book, then," Sora picked up one of the smaller volumes. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. You'll get the paper done and some background info on the other realm all at once. Better get reading."  
  
"Wait! How do you know all this? Why are you telling me now, why not before?"  
  
"You weren't ready."  
  
"How old are you, Al?"  
  
"I'm eleven. Don't let it fool you, though. Age is no determinate of intelligence. Living with Terra's enough to prove that."  
  
He left, leaving Sora more confused than ever. Shrugging, he picked the book up, moving the others to the desk, and sat down to read.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much..."  
  
  
  
"Enter, stranger, but beware—"  
  
"Hey, Sora, Al's told me you decided what book to write on for the English paper," Blank said loudly as she and Al came in. More quietly, she said: "I heard the sitch from Al. I can't believe that what we did is really breaking up the worlds. I mean, the voice said that there wouldn't be very many problems, considering that this was the way things were supposed to be..."  
  
"You ought to know by now that 'supposed to be' is out the window with the couch," Al said, throwing himself on Sora's bed. "Hey, Sora, how far are you?"  
  
"This Hagrid fellow is taking Harry to the bank," Sora said, glancing at the cover. "It would be a cool story if I didn't already know that it's true someplace else."  
  
"It wasn't a story to Terra," Blank said. Her eyes misted over, and Sora could tell she was standing next to her friend now. "She always said that there was a ring of truth to those words. The characters were people, people she knew and trusted. Well, anyway, once you finish the book, all you gotta do is take two of the characters and compare and contrast them. Simple stuff, you've done compare/contrast papers before, right?"  
  
"Yeah. So, you're saying that my world, this one, and this book's are connected somehow?"  
  
"That's right. They're all part of one dimension. They're only one of thousands, millions of subdimensions in 256. It's rigged up so that, if one area like this fails, it's the only one that does. That means that if something goes wrong, like it has here, it only happens here. But someone's taken the fail-safe device out, so that means, in lamen's terms, that if we go down, we take the rest of 256 with us."  
  
"Wait, explain that in terms I can understand."  
  
Al groaned. "Okay, imagine there are a hundred people on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Now, one of those people is sick. The ship has a quarantine room where he is put. That way, no one else can be affected. Now, imagine that he got two more people sick. They're all put together in the quarantine. As long as nothing goes wrong to that room, they're the only ones that have to deal with it.  
  
"Now, imagine someone else comes along and leaves open one of the portholes in the quarantine room. The rest of the ship gets affected. Everyone dies, and the ship is just floating along before they hit something and sink to the bottom of the ocean. It's gone, but it can be remade if someone else wants to do it. That's what we call the Supreme Being. There's only one, and He is really good at handling everybody and giving each person in each dimension attention. Omnipresent, omnipotent.  
  
"Kingdom Hearts was the first guy. We're the second. Harry Potter can and probably will be the third. Understand now?"  
  
Sora nodded.  
  
"Okay. Now we can watch what's happened so far to Terra," Al smiled. "Kingdom Hearts is back. But it's a movie now."  
  
*** Did anyone see the Harry Potter twist comin'? Eh? Eh? Anyone? Didn't think so. Looks proud of herself 


	10. Harry Potter!

Chapter 10: Harry Potter  
  
***  
  
"I had to step in. She would have been killed if I didn't. We cannot afford to lose her."  
  
"Stop trying to explain yourself. We understand."  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"Physically, yes. Mentally...we don't know."  
  
"The Heartless have gotten stronger than we thought. She is nowhere near competent enough with a sword to use the Keyblade correctly. Even so, the Keyblade won't be enough."  
  
"Even Sora would have had a time. Hey, wait, what do you mean the Keyblade won't—"  
  
"She's coming around!"  
  
Terra moaned, her feet kicking at the too-soft blankets that covered her. A headache was splitting her head right down the middle, its focus somewhere above her neck. The voices she'd heard all sounded so familiar. Riku was one of them, she was certain. But who had rescued her of her own stupidity?  
  
"Are you awake, Terra? Do you feel okay?"  
  
"Did someone get the number on that train?" she mumbled, squeezing her eyes tight.  
  
"Yeah, and it got more than a speeding ticket, believe me." One of the familiar voices said. So familiar. Why? Why did she recognize that voice? It was alto, with a smart female British accent.  
  
"What's a speeding ticket?" Another voice. This one slower, lower, and juvenile. Still with a British accent, but male. Was she in Britain?  
  
"Something Muggle police give people who go too fast on the roads." Muggle. Muggle...  
  
Terra's eyes flew open, but clamped shut again in the bright light. "Riku, are you here?"  
  
"Yes. I'm here."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"These people just jumped in from all sides and defeated that Heartless, effortlessly. Donald and Goofy were nowhere in sight, and Leon said that he hadn't seen them at all. You got hit from behind by one of those hands. These people brought you here...and this lady's been working on you. You were nearly dead, Terra."  
  
"She's all right now. Madam—"  
  
"But if you hadn't been there...I should never have agreed to this. Just because I was bored. Because I was bored with life on that island prison. I might as well put my neck to the guillotine now."  
  
"Hey, now, this isn't all your fault," said a third voice. This one was calm, low, and sweet. He sounded like an older version of Riku. "It's whoever it was that offered to do this in the first place's fault, none o' yours. Sora agreed to it, too, you know. As did Blank, Al, and—"  
  
"I'm guessing Terra wants some answers, mates. After all, she can't open her eyes because it's too bright in here." The insipid one had a point. Terra saw the lights dim from behind her eyelids. Slowly, she opened them. Her vision swam for a moment before, at last, Riku's face came into focus in front of her. He was a bit too close for comfort, but somehow, she didn't mind.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Y-Yes," she sat up, staring at her limbs. They felt so...strong. Like she'd only went to bed for a night's sleep. She blinked, staring down at the white sheets. "I'm...stronger, somehow. How's that possible?"  
  
She glanced up.  
  
Choked.  
  
Looked again.  
  
Choked again.  
  
"Harry Potter?! Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley?! What the hell is going on?! RIKU!"  
  
"You've got your hands hot with this one, mate," Ron laughed. Hermione punched him in the arm. "All right, all right, I'll stop."  
  
Terra fought the panic rising in the back of her throat like a tidal wave. How did she get to the Harry Potter world? What had happened? How did they know her?  
  
"Terra, calm down. We'll explain, it'll just take a little time," Harry put a hand on her shoulder. "Just hope Madam Pomfrey doesn't come back and make us go out."  
  
She nodded. "Okay. 'Splain. All of you."  
  
For a moment, no one spoke up.  
  
"Let's try an easier question—who's voice was it that I was arguing with before I blanked?"  
  
"We don't know," Harry shrugged. "It was male and came from another world, but...other than that, we're as in the dark as you are."  
  
"Okay...what happened?"  
  
"The Heartless attacked you when your back was turned," Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You should never turn your back on an enemy."  
  
Terra's face lit up like a terrible forest fire. "I'm not a fighter, like I'm supposed to know that?"  
  
"Lesson number one," Riku cocked his brow at her, then turned to look out the window again. Obviously, he was deep in thought. Probably thinking of Kairi, Terra thought. He continued on anyhow. "I thought you were dead. These three leaped from a hole in the sky and took out sticks. The Heartless was down before I even realized it. They made another hole and told me to carry you through."  
  
"He's been in here at your bedside ever since," Hermione said softly. "Hasn't budged."  
  
Terra didn't know what to make of that. Instead of blowing it out of proportion, she focused on what was happening in the present.  
  
"Why did you take me from that world?" she asked. "And how did you know to do it?"  
  
The famous magical trio was silent. Hermione cleared her throat carefully.  
  
"Kingdom Hearts is falling," she said. "We are connected, somehow, our world, yours, and his. Dumbledore told us to watch you, through...this will sound a bit strange, but through a movie."  
  
"Took a while to get the da—"  
  
"Shut up, Ron," Hermione said. "Well, we watched you. So, when you got in trouble, we went and got you. Dumbledore said that...this will sound strange, too, but he said that you would know, Terra. You would know why the Kingdom Hearts is collapsing and why we will follow if it does."  
  
"What? I'm just as confused as you are," Terra sat up, gingerly holding her head. Her brains pounded in her skull. "How would I know why Kingdom Hearts is collapsing? I have no idea."  
  
"My dear, you have no idea what kind of ideas you have," said a voice in the shadows. It was silky, familiar. Slim green eyes, slimmer than Terra had ever seen a human eye. He stepped from the shadows and into the light. The black cloak he wore hid his body, but she didn't need that to know.  
  
Terra gasped. She knew this man. She knew him well. The fact remained before her, however, that this was no ordinary man. Nor was he a man at all. Renee had told her tales of this man, shown her drawings and sketches of him, but never had he appeared so solidly as he did now.  
  
All others were forgotten.  
  
"Terra. The pleasure of your acquaintance was long awaited. Fair thee well, honest maid? The gods shed their light on thee with such grace. Even thy hands are as I dreamed. 'Tis a day of beauty, majesty, is it not? Will thee not please me with kind eyes?"  
  
His handsome words were a trick. Terra knew them well.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, Dirken?"  
  
"Ah, so fair lady recalls this poor face of mine?"  
  
"What face? I see no one but an ignorant daemon here. Begone, vile king of beasts."  
  
Incensed, the daemon's long, spiked ears drew back like a cat's, his square jaw tensed in a hiss, his thin finger's knifelike as he pointed down at her.  
  
"I shall return, impudent human! Frailty, thy name is woman*!"  
  
He vanished with a sweep of his dark cloak. Terra caught a glimpse of the broken heart symbol that all Heartless wore. "So. His coat has been upended."  
  
***  
  
"Who is that? Where are they?" Sora was confused.  
  
Al sighed. "That guy there is Harry Potter. That's Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Pay attention."  
  
The little Terra on the screen had opened her eyes. "Harry Potter?! Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley?! What the hell is going on?! RIKU!"  
  
"Poor Riku," Sora muttered.  
  
"Let's try an easier question—who's voice was it that I was arguing with before I blanked?"  
  
"We don't know," Harry shrugged. "It was male and came from another world, but...other than that, we're as in the dark as you are."  
  
"Okay...what happened?"  
  
"The Heartless attacked you when your back was turned," Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You should never turn your back on an enemy."  
  
Terra blushed. "I'm not a fighter, like I'm supposed to know that?"  
  
Sora stared at her in amusement. Anyone ought to have known that.  
  
"Lesson number one," Riku looked out the window again. "I thought you were dead. These three leaped from a hole in the sky and took out sticks. The Heartless was down before I even realized it. They made another hole and told me to carry you through."  
  
"He's been in here at your bedside ever since," Hermione said softly. "Hasn't budged."  
  
"Why did you take me from that world?" she asked. "And how did you know to do it?"  
  
Silence. Then...  
  
"Kingdom Hearts is falling," she said. "We are connected, somehow, our world, yours, and his. Dumbledore told us to watch you, through...this will sound a bit strange, but through a movie."  
  
Not very strange to me, Sora thought.  
  
Hermione said: "Well, we watched you. So, when you got in trouble, we went and got you. Dumbledore said that...this will sound strange, too, but he said that you would know, Terra. You would know why the Kingdom Hearts is collapsing and why we will follow if it does."  
  
"What? I'm just as confused as you are," Terra sat up, gingerly holding her head. Her brains pounded in her skull. "How would I know why Kingdom Hearts is collapsing? I have no idea."  
  
Neither do I, Sora thought.  
  
"My dear, you have no idea what kind of ideas you have," said a voice in the shadows. The silky voice owned a pair of slim green eyes, slimmer than Sora had ever seen a human eye. He stepped from the shadows and into the light. The black cloak he wore hid his body.  
  
"What the—" Blank screamed a string of harsh curse words. "Get Renee on the phone, Al. Get her butt over here, top Mach speed."  
  
"What's wrong?" Sora asked.  
  
"That thing shouldn't be there. And if he's there, there's a chance he could screw up the rest of this thing even worse. That's Dirken, Renee's creation. Bad guy. Really bad guy. He likes to speak in Middle English for reasons unknown."  
  
The being on the screen continued his conversation. "Terra. The pleasure of your acquaintance was long awaited. Fair thee well, honest maid? The gods shed their light on thee with such grace. Even thy hands are as I dreamed. 'Tis a day of beauty, majesty, is it not? Will thee not please me with kind eyes?"  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, Dirken?"  
  
"Ah, so fair lady recalls this poor face of mine?"  
  
"What face? I see no one but an ignorant daemon here. Begone, vile king of beasts."  
  
Incensed, the daemon's long, spiked ears drew back like a cat's, his square jaw tensed in a hiss, his thin finger's knifelike as he pointed down at her.  
  
"I shall return, impudent human! Frailty, thy name is woman*!"  
  
He vanished with a sweep of his dark cloak. Terra caught a glimpse of the broken heart symbol that all Heartless wore. "So. His coat has been upended."  
  
"It figures," Blank murmured. "Just when things were bad enough, they had to get worse!" She kicked at Sora's empty trash can.  
  
"She's on her way," Al reported. "So's Kyle."  
  
Sora's stomach lurched again.  
  
*** 


	11. Knowledge, Passion, and Imagination

Well, here's Chapter 11! I'm so proud of myself for coming up with this idea. Now, I've got a little allegory game to play! ^__^ Whomever can tell me to what story Dumbledore is using to talk to Terra at first (I'll point it out when we get there) gets to tell me what the hell I do with Goofy and Donald. I don't want them to stay with the others because the stories choked with characters as it is.  
  
In this chapter we'll discover lots of plot twisties! It's short and mostly dialogue, but pay most special attention, cause this is what we in the writing world call a minor climax. So, have fun! Read! Review? Angel's not loved! -___-. Except to my lovely new reviewer, Artistlil349! THANK YOU! ^___^ Don't you worry, it gets sooooooooooooooo much better. ^__^.  
  
Chapter 11: Knowledge, Passion, and Imagination ***  
  
Terra sighed. After Dirken had disappeared, Madam Pomfrey decided that Terra needed to rest again. Even Riku had been made to leave her now that she was awake. The little old lady had a rather strict list of rules for people in the hospital wing, students or not. Of course, it always seemed to Terra that certain people could break those rules.  
  
Like, for example, Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Headmaster, I really do think this matter is—"  
  
"I need to speak with her, Poppy. She must be getting quite, er...agitated, being left alone in a strange place such as this."  
  
You have no idea, Terra thought.  
  
Madam Pomfrey left as Professor Dumbledore sat down in the chair Riku had used. His eyes crinkled in an old man's grin, but the ice blue orbs danced like a small child's. This strange world was so familiar, and yet so distant to her knowledge.  
  
"Howdy do, Prof," Terra grinned, feigning the same mad routine she did with her friends so often. "I 'ppreciate the concern an' all, but don' ya think ya'll're stretchin' thin's?"  
  
Dumbledore laughed, the sound soft and gravelly to her ears. After hours of silence, it was a little piece of homely music.  
  
"You need not be mad in craft, lady little, little town," he smiled warmly behind his half-moon glasses. "There 'tis no consummation devoutly to be wished. You be here as you are there."  
  
Terra blinked in shock. Who would have thought Dumbledore knew so much about a Muggle writer? Though, it did make sense. Hercules and his crew did come from England. (AN—Bonus to whoever knows what the heck Dumbledore is talking! You get to decide what happened to Donald and Goofy!)  
  
"How'd you know...okay, never mind," Terra shook her head. "So, what'd you need to talk to me about that you braved the wrath of the hospital winged bat-lady?" Dumbledore gave me an abrasive look, one that told me plainly I'd toed the line.  
  
"I'm an American, it's normal," I shrugged. "Sorry."  
  
"Miss Jem, I am certain you've no idea the consequences of the actions you and those around you will do should you, as an American might say, 'screw up'. Let me tell you, these things are not to be taken lightly. Should Voldemort have access to certain powers that this odd voice has bestowed upon you, and the other select members of this 'team', he would certainly make the entire multiverse collapse and start anew. As plans your friend Renee's creation, Dirken."  
  
"What? What powers? What's Dirken planning?" Terra's eyes grew wide.  
  
"Please, let me tell the tale from the start," Dumbledore held up his bony hands. "Poppy, send in the others."  
  
In through the hospital wing door came Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Terra waited for Dumbledore to continue, but still he watched the door, so her head turned naturally to watch, too. Almost exactly as she had left them, Blank, Renee, and Al came through. Kyle, much older, but still recognizable, followed. And finally, the two people she least expected to see, in walked Sora and her mother, Freda. Riku followed them sullenly, watching her constantly.  
  
She sat up, instantly, and tried to greet everyone at once. Her heart overfull, her mind stuffed with things to say and do, she was immobilized by her own want to do something. Terra Jem, for the first time in her life, was struck speechless, not by force to keep out of trouble, but by sheer joy.  
  
"Terra...oh, Terra, what a mother I am!" Freda collapsed at her daughter's side. "How could I have not seen that he wasn't my daughter?"  
  
"Very, very, very good lights and some good teachin'," Terra grinned. "Hey, ya little munchkin genius, you, 'sup? Blank, Al, who taught him all ya knew?"  
  
"She did," Al said. "I was supposedly not supposed to know, so I acted like I didn't."  
  
"Don't ask," Blank said.  
  
Sora was silent. At last he was back in his own body, in a room with many familiar and many unfamiliar faces. He had Freda, Blank, Al, Kyle, Renee, Riku, and, in a way, the real Terra. And yet, the one person who could never keep his mouth shut, had nothing to say.  
  
The real girl looked at him, and the other ten seemed to part ways for her to see him. Terra looked at the boy with an intensity he had known only in Riku, and then not so tough. She watched him like a hawk a mouse, and yet as tenderly as a sister to a brother.  
  
"Hello, Sora," she said.  
  
"Hi, Terra."  
  
She stood up, feeling the pain wash away. "I know so much about you, and you about me, and yet...this is the first time we've really met, face to face."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm sorry." Terra cast her eyes to the floor. "I am so terribly sorry, to all of you, but especially you, Sora. I'm so sorry."  
  
Sora cocked his head at her gently. "Why?"  
  
"There's so much I've messed up already...I don't know where Kairi is, where Donald and Goofy are, I couldn't fight with the Keyblade more than I could a plastic blow-up doll, I—"  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
Terra looked up into Sora's wide blue eyes, and he saw tears in the lashless silver orbs. Tears that Terra hardly ever shed, hardly ever let known. And here she was, in a room full of people, crying her eyes out.  
  
"It is not your fault, Terra."  
  
The first voice, the voice that everyone knew now, had returned. They looked every which way. The fairy voice twinkled laughter among them. It sprinkled lights and music over them, then sounded thunder and gripped them in freezing wind.  
  
"You all wonder why I'm here or there or cry over you all," said the voice.  
  
"Who are you?" Kyle thundered over the sound of wind.  
  
"I am Pandora, the Greek mold of clay. Terra recalls the story, if I'm not drawn astray. That is my real name, you can be certain of it. I was curious one day a while ago, so I decided to give you who stand here a power. A simple little one, I know, but one that is the mark of daemons and angels alike. But who here is more of kin and less than kind?  
  
"What power is that, you say?  
  
"Why, the power to leap your dimensions three! You'll learn it quickly, rest assured. But now that things have set in motion, I wonder, I wonder, will you be able to set them back aright? Newton stated laws three, can you decide which one to counter thee?  
  
"I give you six years, twice times the dimensions you have. Darkness shall descend on all the worlds, but only then must you meet me and mine in combat. Find your inner warriors. Separate or together, I really don't care. Choose six sacred places in these places that I mustn't touch."  
  
"You're talking riddles!" Ron scratched his head furiously.  
  
"Idiot," Riku muttered. Terra was shocked, but somewhat pleased, to find him by her side.  
  
"She's saying that we have six years to train to fight her in all our areas," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "But these three dimension's versions of the Heartless will keep coming during that time. We need to pick six places that aren't to be touched during that time."  
  
"There isn't much to protect in our world," Renee shrugged.  
  
"Yes, there is," Al said. "That painting. Terra's painting. I don't know what it is about it, but it's doing something every time it changes. I say the first place is our whole neighborhood."  
  
"Done," said Pandora.  
  
"Diagon Alley and Hogwarts," Harry said.  
  
"Done and done."  
  
"Where in Kingdom Hearts?" Sora asked.  
  
"The Door," Terra said. "And Traverse Town."  
  
"Done and done. One more."  
  
Everyone paused. What other place could there be that would be obviously important to guard and protect from Heartless equivalents.  
  
"All of the graveyards," Terra said quietly. No one glanced up. Pandora paused.  
  
"Done."  
  
The wind died, signaling that she was gone as well.  
  
"Why the graveyards?"  
  
"Daemons appear in graveyards most of all. It is their own sanctuary. I noticed it in Halloween Town playing Kingdom Hearts. There are more of them there then anywhere else. It prevents them from coming out faster."  
  
"Good show," Dumbledore nodded. "Now. Let us decide how we will spend these six years."  
  
***  
  
Sora listened intently to the old man. He had to agree with him. This was the time to plan it all, and win the name of action later. Out of the corner of his blue eyes, his blessed, returned blue eyes, he watched Terra. She seemed to be stronger, somehow. In his old colorful clothes, holding the Keyblade lightly, naturally, she looked happier here.  
  
Not that he himself wasn't happier. Finally, he was back in his own body, though he still wore Terra's simple black clothes. Yet...even though he wasn't home, he felt more comfortable with the people he was seated with. At the same time, he worried for Kairi's safety. The woman who promised her safety wasn't exactly trustworthy.  
  
"Six years in which to train in the ways of three dimensions," Ron said, shrugging. "Isn't it just simple mathematics? Two years for every dimension?"  
  
"No way, it won't work," Renee shook her head. "Look, Pandora may not be one of mine, but those of us here understand the nature of her kind of villain. And I understand Dirken unlike any other."  
  
"Alas, she is correct," Dumbledore said, smiling. "The power of their dimension is a simple one, but simple magic is something we all here are familiar with."  
  
Sora narrowed his eyes in thought. What could this world he'd lived in for so long have that the others did not? Kingdom Hearts had magic, but not quite the same as Harry Potter's, from what he'd seen in the books. It had the ease to travel worlds. What could Terra's world have that they needed?  
  
"Look, the fact remains that Terra, Renee, Blank, and possibly Sora, once told, are the only ones here who can teach you their world's strongest power," Riku said, staring out the tall window. Framed against the glass, he was a welcome sight with his silver hair and yellow outfit that Sora knew so well. "Even Freda, Kyle, and Al couldn't teach you it. They haven't the talent."  
  
"You don't need talent," Blank whispered. "You only need the drive."  
  
"The point," Riku whirled, his hair swinging into his aqua eyes as he stared at the small crowd in the room. "Is that we don't need to be there to attain the powers."  
  
"How do you know the powers that Dumbledore's talking about?" Harry asked.  
  
It was a good point. One Sora was curious about himself.  
  
"Dumbledore is a Primal Anomaly," Blank said. "Riku and I are Binal Anomalies. Sora, Renee, and Terra and Trimal Anomalies. It's the level at which you can sense the imperfections of your world and the way in which it moves. It means Dumbledore can see exactly how all of the dimensions work together, in sync, in harmony. He told us these things, in small bits and pieces, over the negotiations prior to our switching Terra and Sora.  
  
"The powers of each dimension balance and cancel the others out. It is this way to prevent intermixing of the dimensions, which might create dimensional paradoxes called Binary Subminors. Binary Subminors would create several more dimensions in this area, making it open to attack from the other three Binary Subminor Dimensions, 198, 270, and 359. Demonic activity would increase, and control of the dimensions would therefore spiral out of control.  
  
"Should this happen, the individual will either increase in significance or decrease sharply. Should it decrease, we in America, the 'free democracy' would cease to exist. And, as it is one of the better ideas in dimensional government, we wouldn't want to lose it."  
  
Blank sighed, glancing over the crowd again. Seated on the bed again, Terra's eyes were wide, frightened. Al seemed indifferent to the information. Sora glanced around at the other people, whose names he'd only just begun to learn. Harry and Ron looked half asleep; Hermione was staring at Blank like she could put holes through her. Freda and Kyle looked at the room, as did Renee, with such enthusiasm that he thought it possible to wave his hand in their face and not have any reaction at all.  
  
"Blank is correct, I'm afraid," Dumbledore said.  
  
"But you still haven't told us what those powers are," Ron woke up in an instant.  
  
"Fine," Dumbledore nodded. "Their powers are that of the imagination. Ours is knowledge. Kingdom Hearts is passion."  
  
Renee's nose twitched. "How in the world did I already know that?"  
  
"Isn't that a tad...ambiguous?" Terra asked. "I mean, yes, it's the nature of our worlds, but is it so easy to categorize them like that?"  
  
"No," Dumbledore smiled. "You struck the heart of the matter. These powers are strong in all three of the worlds, if you have people from those worlds. Each is only slightly stronger in those powers. Yes, there are different things here and there, but there is the heart. Although we are different, we are still the same." 


	12. Plans

Okay! Congrats to MikeyKid2004 (who for some strange reason wished not to put his answer in the reviews...Lucky for me, I guess) for guessing what Dumbledore was talking about. HAMLET! Gotta luv Shakespeare .  
  
Sorry about the lack of updates, to anyone who's reading and just not reviewing. Review? Please?  
  
Chapter 12: Plans  
  
He always felt more comfortable in the shadow. Renee had created him to be that way, to want only to chase her down, to want world domination. It was cliché to say this. Little Renee had better watch herself, though.  
  
Little Dirken had grown up.  
  
His eyes were barely cracked. Those green orbs were watching, ever watching the depths of the darkness. Suddenly, light burst from the darkness, swirling blue and smelling of sweet ginger and maple cookies. Dirken smirked. He liked ginger.  
  
"Lady, sweetness describes thee more than beauty."  
  
"Thank you, Dirken," Pandora's voice echoed from the shadow. Her thin, bloodless fingers gently nudged his shoulders. Dirken shuddered under the cold touch of her icy fingertips, the sharpness of her nails to his rosy daemon flesh.  
  
"What say thee of the plan?"  
  
"Perfection in every move," Pandora smirked in the darkness, lowering her delicate chin to rest on his newly bare shoulder. She had slid his cloak from him without his noticing. Her pale pink lips stretched in a sly smile. Dirken felt something warm and wet against his jugular. She had licked him.  
  
His blood ran cold. "Lady, heal not my brokenness. Creation is as creator does, milady."  
  
"Fine," Pandora sniggered. "I won't steal you from her. Abhorring though she is, I will leave you to her. Now. My babies are hungry. We should let them begin their rampage, should we not?"  
  
"We shall," Dirken smiled. The ginger and maple scent vanished, as did the light. Stretching his claws, he stood and prepared to open the door. Behind him, chants of hope rose from the depths of the darkness.  
  
"It is decided, then," Dumbledore nodded. "Those who know Imagination's powers will teach those who don't every day. We will alternate between Passion and Knowledge every year, giving three years to each. We will divide into two teams and switch at the appropriate times."  
  
"And the three of us will stay here two years anyhow," Ron said. "We have to finish school." Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"What about school, for Terra, Blank, Renee? Sora, Al?" Freda's fingers interlaced and jammed through her hair.  
  
"Can they go only every other day?" Riku glanced up. "If it's as easy as my school was."  
  
"Oh, hell no!" Terra yelled. "I'm not missing two days every week! Do you know how much I miss that way? Huh? Do ya?! I go to a special school—it's out of the question."  
  
"If I could interject," Dumbledore said. "Have you heard of the Sleep Draught?"  
  
"What, the thing that puts you to sleep for a long time?"  
  
"No, no," he shook his mane of white hair. "The Sleep Draught is a potion that, properly brewed, allows the drinker to receive the same amount of sleep in minutes as in hours. For example, if you slept for eight minutes, you receive eight hours of sleep. The time difference between your dimension and ours would allow you to continue studies there and come here and do the same thing."  
  
"Y-You said 'properly brewed'," Renee said. "What, would something go wrong if you didn't?"  
  
"The addition of one ingredient to the brew would make it the Draught of Sleep," Dumbledore said. "If you drank the Draught of Sleep and did not receive the antidote in twenty-four hours, the sleep would become...complete."  
  
"In other words, you dead," Renee said, using her fake Southern accent. "You worse than dead. You dead by death. You dead, man."  
  
"Yes, we get the point," Terra smirked. "I think it'll work. Actually, Harry, Ron, and Hermione ought to consider coming to our world and going to school there. Imagination takes its spin from education."  
  
"Good idea," Hermione said, smiling. Ron and Harry exchanged a significant look. Hiding a smile, Terra nodded. "It is decided. Well, where do we all start, honeys?"  
  
"Leave me out of it," Freda said. "I'm too old for this sort of thing."  
  
"Mom, we need as many people as we can get. At least stay here for a while, learn something new," Terra said. "Hey, magic paints walls fast. Moves it faster, too."  
  
Freda sighed in defeat.  
  
A small sound caught Terra's ear, no louder than a whisper. It repeated, louder. A cat, or someone who sounded a heck of a lot like one. She turned toward Renee, who mewed loudest of all, catching the attention of everyone in the room.  
  
Her mottled, calico hair in her eyes, Renee mewed quietly, looking abashed. Her hand was close to her face, like a paw, clawing at the air pitifully. Renee mewed again, then, in a soft tone, voiced her request. Green eyes wide, she cooed out one word: "Food?"  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
  
  
Fascinated by the kitchens, Terra hardly listened to Dumbledore and Freda's "adult" conversation. It was all about places to stay and the smaller details of the plan they were about to undertake. Renee tucked in to the alien food, which Terra regarded warily. Her fork in hand, she curled inward toward her plate. So many new people, all at once, it made her jumpy, slightly pavid.  
  
She tried some sort of sausage, finding it interesting in texture and taste. Nibbling on strange meats, savoring familiar breads and fruit, Terra hardly paid any attention at all to the ways of the conversation. Her ears pricked up when she heard her name.  
  
"...Terra, Renee, and Al go to Kingdom Hearts after the year is up." Freda was saying to Dumbledore. His blue eyes twinkled a little as he shook his head.  
  
"I've a better idea. Terra, Riku, Renee, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stay here for the first year, and you, Blank, Kyle, Sora, and Al go to Kingdom Hearts," Dumbledore smiled. "Trust me, I believe these three will be able to handle themselves here well enough. How do you feel about this matter, Miss Jem?"  
  
Terra felt her face burn and pretended to be engrossed in her plate. He knew something, in fact, he probably knew everything from what she knew about him. The fact remained that she and Riku worked well together, and Renee worked best when she was with Terra or Blank. Knowing Al, it was probably a real kick to know that Sora had impersonated her.  
  
"Perfect," she smiled.  
  
"The plan is set, then," Dumbledore's eyes glittered.  
  
"Terra," Riku said, speaking for the first time since he suggested they only go to school every other day. "Pandora mentioned that you knew her story. Do you?"  
  
"Yes," she said, relieved. At last, something she could do. "The story of Pandora is a Greek myth. She had a box, mostly referred to as Pandora's Box, which contained all the evil of the world. She was sent to tempt Prometheus after he was freed, originally imprisoned to a rock, having a vulture tear out his liver every day, for giving fire to man. Instead, his brother fell for her, and out of curiosity, opened the box, unleashing sin on the entire world."  
  
"Is that just her name, then?"  
  
The table was silent, save for Renee, who was now wolfing down a strange- smelling meat pie. It looked suspiciously like kidneys, which Terra used to use for fishing bait. No one could speak, all were lost in thought. Was Pandora trying to tell them something by giving them hints or throwing boulders in their path?  
  
"It's a puzzle, for certain," Dumbledore nodded, grave. "But one that can be solved with time."  
  
Lightning threw jagged shadows across the floor, leaving Sora to recall the vivid images he'd seen in the movie version of Terra's escapade. This world was fascinating, but he couldn't wait to return to his home dimension. And yet...he knew it would be nothing like home. Destiny Islands, if this was no dream, was gone longer than he'd have ever thought.  
  
He slammed his fist against Riku's, in a farewell-for-now gesture he'd learned from Blank, which Riku had apparently learned from Terra. Grinning, he saw a glimpse of the old Riku, the Riku he'd played with. At the same time, a new person was surfacing, someone he'd only begun to get to know.  
  
Sora knew he would soon see his friend again, when they all gathered in Terra's house for "imagination lessons" but this seemed formal.  
  
"See you tomorrow, Sora," Riku said. "Looks like I'm staying here."  
  
"Tomorrow, then."  
  
They stood apart again as Blank came through, followed closely by Freda, Al, and Kyle. Riku followed Terra up the stairs, toward Dumbledore's office, where they would officially become students at Hogwarts.  
  
"These first couple of times, I'll explain how you jump," Blank said. "But you gotta learn it now. It's like falling, I'm telling you, but don't be scared. You'll be all right. Now, tuck your chin to your heart and place your right hand where the beat is strongest."  
  
Sora obeyed, feeling where his heart was its strongest, a little on the left side of his chest. Feeling a little foolish, he listened intently to what Blank said next to assuage his thoughts.  
  
"Think of the place you want to go. We're going to Traverse Town. Think of it, the tall buildings, the item shop, the moogles with their little red pom-poms, the accessory shop, Cid with his little grain bit in his mouth, Leon, with that crazy jacket with the red eagle, Yuffie the great ninja...now...JUMP!"  
  
So suddenly had she shouted that Sora leapt into the air on command, still trying to imagine this ninja woman, all in black with silver throwing stars. Eyes shut tight, mouth firm in line, he landed, not on smooth granite, but rough cobblestone. A shout drew his eyes open. Freda had landed on the stairs, twisting her ankle.  
  
He took in this place, this place he was supposed to know so well by now. The deep red cobblestone beneath his feet, the neat, even stairs leading to a tall, arched wooden door. What looked like neon lights burned with the signs Restaurant and Accessory Shop. Warm street lanterns cast an eerie glow over everything. Despite its homey appearance, Sora was afraid something might just out at them at any moment.  
  
"Sora."  
  
At his name, he turned, facing a man of about twenty-five. He wore a black jacket with a red hawk on the back. A scar over his eye barely hindered his sight. This must be Leon.  
  
"Greetings, Leon," Blank said. "I trust everything is in order?"  
  
"Yes. And no. We've found a second Keyblade. I am...glad to see the Keyblade Master is well." He whipped out a sword, like a key, almost identical to Terra's. "The problem lies in the fact that we had to attain it through...difficult means. I will not elaborate." He swung the key out and it reappeared in Sora's hands.  
  
(Quick Author's Note—Congrats to MikeyKid2004, once again. Here's what happened to Donald and Goofy!)  
  
"What happened to Donald, Goofy?" Al asked, looking up just to see the tall scarred man's chest.  
  
"The letter from King Mickey never reached them," Leon said, glancing to the side. "The Heartless took over there just hours ago. Rinoa went there, to warn them, but..."  
  
Blank caressed his shoulder gently, whispering in his ears. Why? Sora, confused, stared at the square instead. He chanced to looked up in the sky, and saw, to his bewilderment, a star flicker, as if something had just flown in front of it. Seconds later, the star was gone, a bright blink and it vanished.  
  
Hoping someone else had seen it, he looked around at his four comrades. Freda, Blank, Kyle, and Al said nothing about it. Blank was the only one not looking around with a curious spark in her eye. Sora realized that she probably had been here before, when they were planning the switch between him and Terra.  
  
From the middle of the cobblestone, a little black creature rose, a red, broken heart symbol splayed haphazardly across its chest. Sora ignored it. None of the others seemed to have seen it yet, or, if they had, it was of no danger to them. He watched the little thing move its antennae around, its large, white eyes drinking nothing around it. Was it blind?  
  
Lost? It certainly wasn't alone.  
  
For, moments later, more of the same type of creature began cropping up out of the ground, like winter violets. Leon drew his gunblade on them, shouting at the others about Heartless. Sora didn't react right away. He was mesmerized by the swaying dance the creatures had.  
  
Suddenly, the original bounced into the air, catapulted toward them, scratching with its claws at the air. Sora, frightened, struck the thing with the Keyblade, watched it explode to reveal little green orbs.  
  
A chorus of voices filled the square, shouting names and weapons at random. Freda jumped in shock when a vivid red paintbrush appeared in her hand. Nonchalant, almost knowing, Blank fired a fine white feathered arrow into the nearest of the beasts, her bow and arrow as one with her. Kyle threw a white rose, Al fired paintballs. Leon joined the fray and soon the black things were gone.  
  
"They will come at you from out of nowhere. And they will keep on coming, as long as you wield the Keyblade," Leon said.  
  
The others panted against their newfound weapons, already shocked with themselves and the depth of the arena in which they'd been thrown.  
  
"Well," Al cocked his paintball gun with a loud CHK-CHK-K. "It can't get any worse."  
  
I kinda didn't like the idea of everybody having swords, magic, or a shield. I wanted them to be able to defend themselves (obviously!) but I didn't want it to be so overwhelming that it seemed like Kingdom Hearts had been taken over by Mary Sues. I luv Al's weapon. Tee hee! Paintball gun...  
  
Freda's fits her personality—vibrant and creative. A white rose, for Kyle. Anyone know what that means? Usually, people place them on the deceased at a funeral. Blank's bow and arrow are echoes of a novel I'm working on, where she is a secondary main character.  
  
So, like the new plot twists? Eh? Eh? ANSWER ME, PUNY EARTHLINGS! Er...that wasn't me. It wasn't me! Seriously! Don't give me that look! 


	13. Strange House and Stranger Gummi Ship

This chappies a bit strange...  
  
Chapter 13: Strange House and Stranger Gummi Ship  
  
Terra shuddered and moved closer to Riku while remaining in step. Thunder crashed up a light dirge in step with the lightning. It was an intricate dance, one that frightened her worse than the tango. She did not want to seem weak, though. The walk up to Dumbledore's office was short, considering the size of Hogwarts Castle, but the storm was raging beyond the thick stone walls. Every clap echoed in the halls, every sudden light splayed against the floors and walls, making creepy shadows. At last, they arrived before a gargoyle, where she waited patiently. Riku was surprised, almost to the point where he ran into her.  
  
"Paradise Kiss," Dumbledore said. Terra balked. Where had he gotten that name? As the gargoyle parted, he ushered Harry, Ron, and Hermione on, followed closely by a too-hyper Renee and a pale Riku. Dumbledore winked at her. "A lovely book series. Your turn, Ms. Jem."  
  
Terra shook her head roughly, trying to get the image out of her mind of the white-haired Professor reading the manga she had. A rumbling outside spurred her at the heels. She raced up to join Riku, then languidly waited for the stairs to stop moving. As if she wasn't frightened at all. A little trick she had learned quite early on when she was just beginning to create her "image".  
  
Stepping into the room, she instantly wanted to touch everything. The paintings on the wall, where the sleeping headmasters snored a little too loudly. Silver objects left and right, coupled with dark stained maple and an oak floor. Windows lit the room brighter despite the lamplight. The multicolored phoenix, Fawkes, stirred sleepily, staring at them with large brown eyes.  
  
The urge to touch, to handle, to examine, passed as quickly as it came, squashed beneath her want to contain herself. Prove herself to the headmaster. She could control what she did and what she did not do.  
  
Dumbledore slid the door shut behind him. The lock clicked into place. Striding toward the oak shelves behind his overlarge desk, Dumbledore plucked the Sorting Hat from its high perch.  
  
"I doubt you will be in a different House, but it is best to consult the Hat," Dumbledore explained. He placed it on giddy Renee's head. She disappeared, but Terra could hear her giggling.  
  
The Hat shouted: "Hufflepuff!"  
  
Blink. Blinks on all parts. BLINK! Terra screwed her eyes up in terror. Her friend was in Hufflepuff? Where would she end up? Where would Riku go?  
  
Dumbledore pulled the hat off and placed it on Riku's head. The Hat shifted and shouted out: "HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
If she didn't go to Hufflepuff, where would she go? How confused would she be? The world went dark and suddenly the Hat was talking.  
  
"Hmm...a visitor as well. Not many minds like this one. Hiding, are we? Ravenclaw? No. Oh, dear, you are a pickle, aren't you? Hmm...ah, well. HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"That is a tad strange...alas, it is done," Dumbledore smiled. "I will see you to your dormitory. School begins next week. We'll go for your supplies tomorrow. Harry, Ron, Hermione, get to your House as well."  
  
He rose. Everyone piled back onto the eagle gargoyle as it went down again. Terra blinked as the storm raged on outside. Still, the shock knocked her, echoing in her skull. She didn't get in to Griffindor. Renee, Riku, and herself were in Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff, the House that accepted anyone, the people who weren't initially brave, smart, or politic.  
  
Perhaps that was a good thing, though. She'd get to meet interesting people. She was on an accelerated course. According to Dumbledore, who continued talking down the hall, she would be a second year by the time she went back to Kingdom Hearts. There wasn't any reason she could think of to simply stay and finish her magic education. Of course, that meant she could study in her off time.  
  
Dumbledore stopped before a large tapestry. Faded yellow, unraveling at the corners, it refused to move if she touched it.  
  
"Passion is the Power of People," Dumbledore said. The tapestry turned bright yellow, woven with intricate lines of red, green, and blue. "Touch the corner of it."  
  
Terra reached out and took the hem of the tapestry. It looked rough, but it was soft, like a cat's belly fur. Riku and Renee held the tapestry as well.  
  
"Three to educate, Thus no cowards pass, nor the ignorant last, nor the sly mass," Dumbledore smiled. The tapestry yanked from her hands and lifted on both sides, revealing a wide tunnel with many doors on either side. "Welcome to Hufflepuff Hall."  
  
Sora waited patiently for Leon to come back in the warm, comforting Item Shop, where three small ducks were selling an array of things he'd never seen before. Bottles labeled "Potion" and "Tent" and "Food", each costing a certain amount of "munny". The little bell on the door jangled.  
  
"You'll need to hurry," Leon said. A blond man, wearing goggles on his head and a tool belt around his waist, followed him. He carried small, colorful objects in his hand, like the building blocks he used to play with when he was little.  
  
"Hey, kid," said the man, grinning. "You missed me, I'm thinkin'. I'm Cid. Sora, right?"  
  
"Yeah, that's me."  
  
"Well, since the Gummi Ship that was supposed to get here isn't, I'm gonna lend you one of mine," Cid said. "Anyone here know how to pilot one?"  
  
Crickets chirped.  
  
"Right. You, I'll give you a crash course," he pointed to Kyle. "Drive a car?"  
  
Kyle nodded, glancing at Blank. Freda looked at the man. "Well, teach me, too. I'm the other adult here, ya know."  
  
The three walked off out the door. Al, Blank, and he walked up to the counter, hoping to find out more about the items behind the counters. The three ducks were proud of their display, and quite willing to explain each item's use.  
  
"Potion is a healing element," explained Huey. "Drink it, and wounds heal."  
  
"A tent is someplace to sleep when you're tired," Lewie said.  
  
"Food," shrugged Dewey.  
  
Sora blocked out the sound of their high-pitched, rather annoying voices. He studied the strange door that led outside. The Keyblade rested lightly in a sling over his shoulder, which Leon had made him. According to Leon, the blade was supposed to automatically disappear and reappear, but something had happened to this Keyblade that prevented such from happening.  
  
"Come on, you three," Freda said, walking to the counter, her fist holding several colorful orbs. "Ten Food, twenty potion, and two tents, please, Huey. Do you have a satchel I could carry this in?"  
  
The little ducks scrambled to get the items piled on the counter. Freda placed it all in her new black leather satchel, tugging the straps over her shoulder. She handed over all of the colorful little orbs, which the ducks counted.  
  
"Thanks, lady," Dewey said. "Have a good evening!"  
  
"We'll be back," she grinned. "Sora, Blank, Al, this way."  
  
Back out on the cobblestone streets, Sora took a double take at a large, abstract-looking ship. They looked exactly like the building blocks Cid had held in his hand. Now they filled the square, each block gleaming in the ever-present twilight of the stars.  
  
"Look for the portals," Cid said. "They look like a swirling mass of silver and white and blue. You'll find one at the back of the ship. Use those to gain some healing and for boarding the ship again if you want to. Head for Wonderland. It's your best bet for right now. Good luck! See you when you get back."  
  
A bright, royal blue plank descended from the highest park of the ship. White light revealed the silhouette of Kyle. He forced himself beyond the light and grabbed Sora's hand.  
  
"Come on, Sora! I'm driving!" He grabbed Sora's hand and pulled him into the ship. Butterflies danced around in his stomach as he was thrown bodily into the seat behind Kyle. Al took the seat beside him, Freda the copilot seat, and Blank the seat behind him.  
  
Away they zoomed, with bright starlights streaking all around them. More strange, blocky ships, some similar to theirs, some radically different, flew every which way. Rocks and debris floated all around. Sora got the feeling he was in some strange, alternate place, with the separate time streams all around him. If he but touched any of them, he would change the worlds.  
  
"Heartless ships dead ahead!" Freda shouted. "Everyone, battle stations!"  
  
"It's Star Wars!" Al shouted, descending one of the gun ports below the ship. Sora took the one of the right, Blank the left. Freda took the top.  
  
The gun pods were like normal chairs that spun around, with a joystick on each arm. Sora took each joystick in his hand and pushed one forward. The entire pod took him with it. A firing indicator showed him where he was pointing.  
  
"All right, Sora," he said to himself. "Time to prove your worth."  
  
The chair spun left and right, shouting TSEW! TSEW! as the lasers  
fired in sync. He must  
have fired at least twenty of them, but three Heartless ships were  
down.  
  
TSEW! TSEW! The guns sang out again and again as he fired them, the joysticks getting hot in his hands. At last, all of the ships bearing the Heartless coat were gone. Sora rubbed his hands together and ascended the ladder again.  
  
"WHOO HOO! What a blast!" Freda shouted.  
  
"Have fun, Missus J?" Kyle grinned from the pilot's seat. "Better take your seats again, Wonderland's comin' up. It's almost nine, you guys. Don't you still need to get everyone working on that paper for English?"  
  
"True, true," Blank grinned. "You land. Sora and I will run back to our world."  
  
Sora ducked his chin and focused on Terra's room, especially the painting. The shadows dancing in the forest. There must be something about that painting...how it changes and reflects...  
  
He jumped. Back in the green room, with Blank. Terra, Riku, and Renee were already there, smiling at them. Terra waved at him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were receiving the same assignment from Dumbledore, so that they would be able to do some work in familiar surroundings. Sora wished he'd had that.  
  
"Heard you were doing your project on Harry," Terra said. "Interesting idea, Sora. Okay, now that we're all here, Blank, I've got a question. How the hell are we gonna get these two into our school?" She gestured to Sora and Riku.  
  
"Dumbledore went and enrolled them earlier today," Blank said. "Sora Kuwabara and Riku Sawaguchi. As exchange students."  
  
"Exchange students. Ah," Terra nodded. "Pretty good cover. Why Kuwabara and Sawaguchi?"  
  
"Apparently, he's a manga fan," Blank said. "Take a guess."  
  
"Yu Yu Hakusho and Blue Seed. Will wonders never cease?" Terra shook her head, her fingers pinched around her the bridge of her nose. "Now that we're here, let me explain this paper. Basically, a character analysis. Pick a book, pick three characters, pro and con 'em to death. Sora's decided, most interestingly, to do Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Most appropriate. I'm doing Hamlet. Blank, Frankenstein. Renee, The Hobbit. Riku, it's your choice now. My bookshelf has loads."  
  
The silver-haired boy glanced at the bursting shelf, which was small and inconspicuous as long as you didn't open the door. Once open, it was the centerpiece of the room, exploding with colored covers of all tints.  
  
"So, what three characters would you suggest I use?" Sora asked Terra as he thumbed to the bookmarked place he'd left in the book. Her colorful clothes flew around her as she sank onto her own bed, for the first time in a while. She was a fully different person, now that Sora saw her again.  
  
"Obviously, Harry is a good choice. But find characters that sharply contrast, and don't just think of those you know real well. Snape, Dudley, Vernon, Draco. Good second characters. Ollivander, Dumbledore, Filch. Good third characters. It's your choice, though."  
  
Sora, in Terra's dark clothes with his tanned skin and large blue eyes, sat down beside her. The choice was obvious to him. Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore were excellent characters of choice, but Terra seemed to be the one he was focused on. What would she do to help, change, move the world she was in? Had she been left here, alone, she would have descended into the world of writing and drawing, talking to few, living little, still that little timid shrew. The short few days she'd lived his life, she had changed. He could see it.  
  
And he liked, very much, what he saw.  
  
Er...yeah. I'm not going to describe every waking moment of their schooling, believe me. I'm just gonna give a good idea with these next few chapters of what they have to go through, then I'll jump to next "year. 


	14. Let the Torture Begin

Sorry I haven't updated in a while...so, here is a whole bunch of chapters all at once!! Aren't a nice? Huh?  
  
Chapter 14: Let Torture Begin  
  
Words flowed from her fingers like ants to sugar. Soon, Terra was done with her paper. She crossed her legs on her bed, watching the others reading their material. Riku stood in the doorway, reading a green, hardbound book with silver lettering. His lean muscles relaxed, aqua eyes alight to the page, he seemed to enjoy each word like a fresh breath of sea air.  
  
Sora sat on the bed with her, his hair trailing into the pages of the book. He was toward the end of the book, probably at an exciting portion. Nose inches from the words, he was completely engrossed.  
  
Blank and Renee were writing away at their own papers, Frankenstein and The Hobbit open wide. Blank's black hair was over on shoulder, just like it usually was when she was diligent and working. Renee's calico hair was splayed across the hardwood floor, her hands holding up a notebook and pen, writing fast and neat. She was obviously almost done with her paper, too.  
  
"I'm gonna go type mine," Terra said. "I'll make some food when I'm done. What do ya'll want?"  
  
"How 'bout your famous double-decked tacos?" Renee asked, glancing toward her. "I can help when I done typing."  
  
"Double-decked tacos?" Sora blinked, not looking up from the book.  
  
"I think you'll like them. Yeah, I'll make 'em. See ya soon."  
  
Terra gathered up her paper and descended the single stair to the family room. She stopped short, staring at the green walls, the realistic sky- slash-ceiling, the castle entertainment center, the painting of her and all her friends with Harry Potter and the gang. This must be the room that Sora and Freda did together with the Trading Spaces people.  
  
Terra loved it.  
  
She walked past it all and sat at the computer desk. A half hour later, she was done with the paper. Printing it out, she stapled it and put it in her schoolbag. Tomorrow was Monday.  
  
In the kitchen, she started up some hamburger meat in the skillet, throwing in some garlic and pepper. She warmed up some nacho cheese and chopped tomato and set out some sour cream. Placing some soft taco shells in the microwave with some crispy shells on top, she waited the minute for it to warm.  
  
Renee walked in and, as if it were a rhythm unbroken, set to work with some lettuce. Both girls spread nacho cheese on the soft taco shells, placing hard shells with that as "glue". Soon, more than three dozen tacos were ready.  
  
"Dinner's ready, guys," Terra yelled toward her room. Sora, Riku, and Blank stampeded out of her room, still clinging to their papers. Ravenous clients soon swarmed the painted dinner table. The likes of which this kitchen hadn't seen since Al's last birthday party.  
  
"So these are double-decked tacos," Sora said, after he'd devoured five of them. "I like these. Can you cook all the time?"  
  
"Mum usually didn't like me cooking in here," Terra said softly, her face warm. "She liked getting Chinese food instead, from Dillons."  
  
"You like cooking, don't you?" Riku asked, pausing politely to ask the question. "You're good at it."  
  
"Thanks. Yeah, I do love to cook," she grinned. "But I love to eat it better!"  
  
"Hear, hear!" Renee shouted, throwing up a fist. She had to be on her eighth taco, at the rate she was eating them.  
  
"So, how are ya'll's papers coming along?" Terra asked. "Out of curiosity."  
  
"I just need to type," Blank said.  
  
"Rough draft it," Riku said.  
  
"What?!" Sora shouted. "I'm still reading! And I started long before you did, Riku. How'd you get through that book so fast? It was bigger than mine?"  
  
"It was an interesting book," Riku shrugged.  
  
"Which one did you read?" Terra asked.  
  
"Chaucer's Canterbury Tales."  
  
Terra choked. "You read the entire thing while we were in there?"  
  
Riku smirked at her reaction, nodding. The whole thing was ludicrous!  
  
"Okay, who are you doing?"  
  
"The wife of Bathe, Chaucer, and the Priest."  
  
Riku had a point. This collection of tales was one she herself had read several times, but it was usually completely separate, the tales by themselves. She particularly liked the one where the knight had to find what women really wanted. But she'd never—never—simply sat down and read the entire thing at once. It was loony to even suggest it.  
  
But there he was, confident aqua eyes and all, having read the entire thing in one setting. Just standing there in the frame of her door, his silver hair draped casually in his eyes, his entire being sucked into the comedic world of Chaucer.  
  
  
  
Dinner finished, the others completed their papers, tucking them into schoolbags that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. They were all labeled quite clearly. There were even some normal high school boy type clothes in Al's room for Riku and Sora. At least that meant Sora didn't have to wear Terra's clothes anymore, and Riku didn't have to take to it, either. Terra giggled under her breath at the thought of Riku in her "Cutie" t-shirt...  
  
Thinking of which, where was said shirt?  
  
Oh, well.  
  
"Time to go back to Hogwarts," she announced. Sora finally had printed off his paper.  
  
"Imagination lessons?" Renee glanced up furtively, her eyes lighting up like a cat's. Her calico hair mysteriously swung in a sort of dancing wave, like a wound-up cat tail.  
  
"Yup."  
  
Terra imagined the cool stone floors, the torches that lit the halls, Harry's black hair and scar, Hermione's ever-chattering voice, the scent of magic in the air. With a jump, she was back in the hall again.  
  
"We're all back again," Freda smiled. "I feel better, knowing we'll do this every day."  
  
Terra nodded, feeling a faint smile touch her lips. Somehow, she knew this time would be used to its solid advantage.  
  
"Miss Jem, as you're our resident expert on imagination, you'll be our professor tonight," Dumbledore said, handing her a pointer and a bit of chalk.  
  
Terra stopped short, feeling suddenly very small. Like a mote, like the tiniest of the bacterium, set suddenly against the largest of galaxies. Her throat constricted, dry. Then, Riku's calm aqua eyes, eager to learn, met hers. The feeling of inferiority slipped away. Her throat was still a tad scratchy, but not enough to stop her. A lesson began to form in her head.  
  
"Okay," she nodded. "Okay. Well, er...I guess we should start with the simplest of concepts—pencils and paper. Er, Professor, might you—?"  
  
"Of course," he nodded. With a wave of his wand, everyone sat neatly in a flat, smooth desk, several sheets of thick paper before them and sharp HB pencils, all of which mysteriously sharpened again when dull. (Note—HB is a standard #2 pencil.)  
  
"Right. Thanks. Okay, you start with how you hold your pencil. It's a technique, something you need to know. You'll become comfortable in a position sooner or later..."  
  
Terra went on like this, teaching the very basics of drawing. How to draw a line, a square, a circle, three-dimensional shapes, proportions. All in the simple shapes. She taught one-, two-, and three-point perspective. Some learned quickly. Some knew the material well enough already.  
  
But that wasn't the thing. The thing was, when she glanced back at them, talking about the simple squares in the upper, lower, and straight-on perspectives, she noticed something. She wasn't just saying things. They were listening. They were taking in what she was saying. Never, in her life, had she had so powerful a revelation. People listened to what she had to say and used it. This, and only this, was the power of teaching.  
  
"I think that's enough for tonight," Terra said, closing out. "Practice what we did tonight, if you can. The only way to learn imagination is by doing it."  
  
With that, they dispersed.  
  
Sora wrinkled his nose at the bubbling blue potion Dumbledore gave him in the golden goblet. Those who went to Kingdom Hearts had been Sorted as well. Kyle, Blank, Sora, and Al were in Griffindor; Freda in Ravenclaw. They would stay only nine minutes for the first year, after all.  
  
"The Sleep Draught," Dumbledore said, handing the last of the goblets to Terra. "All you need to do is drink it and lay down. I have given you enough to keep you down for nine minutes—nine hours to your bodies. Then you will go back to Terra's dimension for school. Freda and I will sleep naturally tonight."  
  
"All right," Terra said, sniffing the potion. "We'll meet you all in the Great Hall. See you soon."  
  
They separated, all going to different Houses. Sora sank into one of Griffindor's squishy armchairs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed his lead.  
  
"Well, bottom's up," Al said, tilting his goblet and pouring the entire contents down his throat at once. "Mmm. Pretty...pretty...gooooooooooood-d..." Al was asleep before he knew it.  
  
Sora pinched his nose and downed the goblet. It tasted like strawberries and milk with a little orange and banana. Strange mixture. The world spun blue, then black. He was walking down a blank hallway, toward a tall, oaken door. It had that strange symbol on it, the black, broken heart. That strange person he'd seen on TV was beckoning to him, those vivid green eyes even slimmer. Malicious...  
  
"C'mon, Sora, sleepy time's over," Kyle shoved him to his feet. Stretching, Sora felt like a million munny. He'd slept great! That strange dream was already slipping from his mind. Before he knew it, he'd forgotten even what it was about.  
  
He followed Kyle down to the Great Hall, ready for his first day of school.  
  
Once again, Sora bowed his chin to his chest and leaped into the air. By now, the foolish feeling he'd had with it before was gone. In fact, the entire thing seemed tedious. The plan was an interesting one. One that he liked, because it meant a lot of time that most people thought was lost in the day. He really wondered how he was going to fit his homework from this dimension in with fighting off the Heartless in Wonderland. What little he'd glimpsed of it, anyway.  
  
When they landed, he heard a loud CRASH! Sprawled on the floor, Terra blushed sheepishly. She'd fallen on landing. A white glove descended and caught her hand, tugging her roughly to her feet.  
  
"All right, guys," Terra grinned. "Er...Mom, can we get some breakfast?"  
  
"Right," Freda nodded. "You all go get changed, I'll get food."  
  
Ron, Riku, Harry, Sora, and Al left the girls to Terra's room. As they traveled traversed the family room, Harry stopped short. Sora flushed, knowing he'd seen the painting Blank had done for the room.  
  
"Is that...us?" Harry touched his own face, Hermione's, Ron's, Terra's, Riku, Sora, Freda, Renee, Blank, Al. Like he was searching for something, some magic to jump out at him. It was just a painting, but it seemed so alive. Even Sora had to admit that.  
  
"Yes." Al smiled. "Blank tried for realism. See? I told you. Images are everything here."  
  
Mysterious, shrouded in a sort of boyish fantasy, he walked into his room. Sora didn't know what he felt just then, but somehow, he knew that Al was right. Something was amiss. And it all fell to these images, these paintings.  
  
Shrugging, Ron followed Al into his room, breaking the moment. Mirroring Ron, Sora walked in to find his pack, bright red with neatly folded blue jeans and a t-shirt nestled atop it. The five boys changed into their clothes in silence, all wonder and thought.  
  
Sora felt more like himself again, wearing a red, hooded jacket over his t- shirt again. He took the silver chains from Terra's old black jeans and attached them in the same manner to his blues. The familiarity of both these things comforted him.  
  
"Be wary," Al said. "Terra says high school is like diving into molten blue fire."  
  
Sora felt so much better.  
  
Instead of answering, Riku shouldered his white pack, stuffed his now-bare hands into his black jeans pockets, a silver t-shirt bearing the title "King Krikkit" loose on his muscled form. Harry, his green t-shirt and blue jeans fitting for once in his life, followed nervously. Sora nodded at a tuscan-red Ron and tried to maintain his normal gait under the weight of the thousand-ton pack.  
  
Freda slapped runny eggs, burnt bacon, and blackened toast into each of their hands on paper plates, stuffing a twenty-ounce bottle of Pepsi into each pack without a word. Giddy, she waved several times in a nanosecond, shoving them all out the front door.  
  
Blinking, Sora glanced at the plate in his hand, confused.  
  
"Mum isn't the greatest cook," Terra said, chagrined, almost sheepish. "If you want to dump it and get real food at school, I'm sure we can manage."  
  
"Nah," Sora shook his head. "I'll eat the eggs and bacon. Just don't ask her to cook again. Agreed?"  
  
A general rumble of approval ran through them. Ron was still having the early-morning confusion often associated with not-morning-people. Al broke from the group at the end of the street, heading for a small elementary school in the distance. At least, that's what the sign said. Sora couldn't be sure.  
  
The only school he'd gone to was the community one, where all the kids learned different things at different times. Kairi had been the only other person his age. Riku always hung with them anyway. They were really close, the three of them. What had happened to Kairi? Would they ever find her again?  
  
"Our school is just up here," Renee said. "Isn't it pretty?"  
  
Sora stared at the red brick building. It was three stories tall and covered about three city blocks. The front of the building was filled to the brim with other students, all different, all staring at them. All staring directly at him.  
  
His throat went dry for a moment. So many people, all together like this. Never, in his whole life, had he seen such a sight. They were all about his age, perhaps older by maybe four years on some parts. There were so many of them. Did Terra know them all? Renee, Blank, and Terra walked through the front doors, leading them carefully through the wide halls. A tiger grinned down at them from nearly every wall, its eyes gleaming in the sun streaming through the clear windows.  
  
"Here's the office," Blank said, pushing open the door. Everyone filed into the small room, where the office proctor promptly dropped her work to stare at the large group.  
  
"Ah, Ms. Jem, I was told you'd be bringing our new students." A large woman squeezed through the door frame of the nearest office. She had pasty white skin, which was sharply contrasted with her billowing, brightly-colored flower dress. Sora didn't know the name of the colossal flowers that the dress depicted, but he knew they didn't belong on this particular whale—er, lady.  
  
"Yes, Mrs. Deckman," she said politely. The sound of grinding teeth fell. "I was wondering if you had their schedules made out yet, ma'am."  
  
"Of course," Mrs. Deckman pulled several sheets of paper from the proctor, whose face had gone ashen. "Renee, Blank, I expect you two to take Sora to his classes. Jem, I expect the same from you for the sophomores."  
  
The three chorused: "Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Harry Potson, Ron Wessling, Her-er...hemorrhage? Grapler is the last name."  
  
"It's Hermione."  
  
"Oh, yes, Hermes," Deckman said, messing it up again. Her eyes screwed up as she glared at the paper, daring it to make her wrong again. "Well, Sora Ku...Kusha..."  
  
"Sora Kuwabara and Riku Sawaguchi," Terra corrected her, still with the same air of polite submission. "Ma'am."  
  
"Ah, thank you, Jem. Well, here are your schedules. Off the class with you, then."  
  
Sora gulped, watching as Riku, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Terra walked off in one direction. Renee leaned over his shoulder to see what classes he'd gotten.  
  
"Ooh, English right off, not good, mate," Renee grinned. "You got Flint, with both of us. He's got it in for the girls in his class. You're lucky you're a boy again."  
  
Sora paled, his face white as a ladies kerchief.  
  
This was going to be a long day.  
  



	15. School Coaster

Chapter 15: School Coaster  
  
The new kids schedules were strangely similar to Terra's. She nodded Harry and Hermione off to U.S. History, which she and Riku shared for fourth block. Ron had it second. The remaining three of them all had Geometry first block. Everyone had English second block, except poor Ron.  
  
Ron, Terra, and Riku reached room 150, Mr. Cunningham's Geometry class. Black-topped tables, set in groups of four, were set all about the room. No one else occupied it. Even the teacher was gone. Terra walked to the very back of the room, where she had a pleasant view out the windows and of the whole classroom besides.  
  
"No one else sits back here," she said. "I do because it's easier to avoid Cunningham."  
  
"Why?" Ron asked. "Is he like Snape?"  
  
"No, not exactly..."  
  
"New students!"  
  
Terra's mouth snapped shut. Mr. Cunningham raced toward them, a thin, ghost- like hand extended in welcome. Whispery white hair adorned his boyish face, which had shockingly few wrinkles in it.  
  
"Your names are...Roku and Sordid, right?"  
  
"No, Riku and Sora," Terra corrected. "Riku and Sora, sir."  
  
]"Thank you, Ms. Jem. Yes, Riku and Sora, I will remember!" He thrust his bony chest out and slapped it hard. The combination of old man and bold boy was completely disconcerting. "Do you know much about Geometry?"  
  
Void faces answered.  
  
"Ah, no worries, no worries, you sit beside the smartest here! Ms. Jem, Jem, Jem, she's the most excellent mathematician in this class. Understands every concept before we even begin them. Most extraordinary, most extraordinary. Looks ahead in the books, I wager, but she still won't tell me. Ah, well. Ask her questions. At times, I think she knows more about geometry than I do!"  
  
With every praise, Terra's face turned redder and redder, sinking below the table. Mr. Cunningham left at last, seeing to the bell work for the day. She swallowed hard and knelt to retrieve her bell work notebook. Ron and Riku followed her example, but soon, the work completed, Cunningham left.  
  
]"What was that all about?"  
  
"I'm the only person who's got a 'A' in this class," she said hoarsely. "He seems to believe things that aren't true. I just pick this stuff up faster than the others. I've never read a textbook ahead of time in my life. Though, I do want to start flipping through our magic schoolbooks. We get points for knowing stuff."  
  
The trio worked through the bell work problems, with plenty of help from Terra, and finished as the five-minute bell tolled. Other people began filing into the room, many glancing back at the three. Terra's face burned crimson. Most of these people didn't even know she was in their class. Now that there were two new guys sitting with her, they all stared at her, as if she were a snake at the zoo. Her insane, happy-go-lucky cover was gone, as though it were a slashed bike tire.  
  
The starting bell rang at last. Another kid ran into the room, late, and slid into a seat near the front. The intercom crackled to life, spreading a sense of woeful dread over the students.  
  
"Please stand and join me in saying the Pledge of Allegiance."  
  
Terra stood, it being so accustomed to her, she hardly thought of it at all. Riku seemed startled by the mere thought of it, but stood beside her, soft hand over muscled chest. Poor Ron, British and unknowing clambered to his feet. He was muttering under his breath about stupid Americans and their weird customs.  
  
Terra didn't blame him.  
  
Sitting down again, she listened to the announcements carefully. Nothing of interest passed her ears for about ten minutes of the droning speeches. Then, finally, the words she'd been waiting for played.  
  
"The Society of Writers, Artists, and Poets has a meeting tomorrow in 245, Mr. Nitavidel's class. Please attend, all are welcome."  
  
She smiled smugly, secretly.  
  
Sora turned in the English paper, to Mr. Flint's ultimate surprise. He said he hadn't expected him to turn it in for another week, because of settling and such. Seated between the hyper, furtive Renee, and the serious, silent Blank, Sora had little problem paying attention to the lesson. Renee was a workaholic. Blank needed encouragement, but she refused to talk while Mr. Flint was.  
  
Mr. Flint's first lesson for Sora was the beginning of a new novel, Brave New World by Aldus Huxley. The discussion was based on the morality of cloning humans, controlling how they acted and how they worked. Even Sora could understand this. His first assignment was to read the first chapter of the book. Blank and Renee wrote it in battered old blue assignment books. Sora had received a new one, which he followed their example in.  
  
"What do you have next?" Renee asked.  
  
"History, Mr. Elk."  
  
She smirked at him. "Follow us, Mr. Sky."  
  
World History turned out to be an extremely boring class. Mr. Elk handed Sora a book with the curriculum, telling him to take organized notes over the first part of it. The rest of the class was to organize Chapter 12 over the next three days. They'd have a quiz on Thursday and "free day" on Friday.  
  
"You can copy my notes," Renee said. "This class is super-easy if you pass all the quizzes. Mr. Elk doesn't like to teach anything. We think he's getting fired at the end of the year."  
  
"Thanks," Sora smiled. The class around him began to get noisier and louder as the time ticked away. "Is it always like this?"  
  
"Yeah. Most people just read the section and leave it alone. He doesn't grade you on notes, anyhow. Most don't bother. You'll have to take tests one through twelve before next week, most likely. No worries, they're short, general, and easy."  
  
"But I don't know anything about your world," Sora said. "So it'll be harder for me. Right?"  
  
"I think so, too," Blank nodded. "We'll quiz you ourselves. We've got the copies. History ain't all that important to what you're doin'."  
  
"I guess not."  
  
Sora spent the rest of the hour copying Renee's notes, understanding and asking questions about a world he'd never seen. He learned about the Incas and the Aztecs, the Spanish, the Roman Empire, the British Empire, the French, the Industrial Revolution, the War of 1812. So many things, so many places. Blank pointed out them all on the map, and Sora was surprised to see that many of the places she talked about were centered in one little continent called "Europe".  
  
Later areas included another two continents called "North America" and "South America". Blank explained in low tones that "we" lived in North America, the United States, in a State known as Kansas. The city of Wichita, a place where tornadoes were prominent and storms loved to play havoc on people's lives.  
  
As confusing as it all was, it was fascinating, too.  
  
They moved on again, heading toward a small corner of the school. Sora entered an enormous, circular room with ascending steps on which stood desks. Along the walls were canvases splashed with color. Papers held drawings pinned carefully into corkboard walls. A woman with short blond hair grinned as he came into the room.  
  
"Good morning, Ms. Snow," Renee chirped. "See, we dragged the new kid here. He's got Terra's touch, I think."  
  
"Really?" asked Ms. Snow. "I'll be the judge of that. Well, your name's...Sora, did I say it right?"  
  
"You're the first one who has," Blank muttered under her breath.  
  
"Sora! Hey, you got this class, awesome!" Terra, Riku, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the classroom. Terra grinned broadly at him. "I was hoping the office would put us together for this class. It's the only one we have in common."  
  
"Renee says this young man can match your skill, Terra," Ms. Snow said.  
  
"We'll see," Terra winked jovially. "C'mon, let's get a seat. Ya'll love this class!" Her crazy crafty ways had returned.  
  
The eight of them all sat in one corner of the room, closest to Ms. Snow and all of the supplies. Sora sat on the highest plateau, next to Terra, Riku, and Renee. Blank sat right in front of him, to the point where he could have easily reached out and petted her shiny black hair. So opposite to her brother's blond silver...  
  
"Good morning, class," Ms. Snow said as the bell tolled. "To our new students, welcome to Drawing 1. Today we will begin discovering shapes and shadows." She turned on a bright white light, which illuminated a cone, a sphere, a box, and a cylinder. They were large enough to see from even at the back of the room.  
  
"Try and get the shape and shadows of the objects on your page. Fill it with them. Do not attempt to draw only on one side or the other. Blank, can you please pass out the paper?" Sora looked at the four objects, shrugged, and started to draw the box.  
  
It seemed like he'd only just begun when the bell rang for lunch. He had only finished drawing the four objects and started shading the sphere. Terra sighed and glanced over his shoulder.  
  
"Did you somehow pick up Terra's artistry when you switched?" Renee whispered.  
  
"I think so," Sora said, feeling heat racing up his neck and cheeks.  
  
"I think I picked up his balance, too," Terra said, placing her drawing in the drawer of the desk. "I haven't once run into my car or my mom's or any doors. Interesting, really. Weird, too, but hey, I lived four hours in his body."  
  
"I lived a week in yours," Sora muttered, throwing the pencils in his case a little harder than necessary. "I don't get it. How come I didn't change, too?"  
  
"Sorry," Blank said, grinning sheepishly. "I think there are some glitches in this game."  
  
"Game?" Riku glanced up from his own sloppy rendition of the shapes.  
  
"Sweetie, don't sweat the game stuff," Renee said, throwing her hand out. "It's a saying here that life's all a game and a box o' chocolates. We're a society that loves to quote, kid."  
  
"Kid?"  
  
"That's just her way of talkin'," Terra said, shrugging. "C'mon, ya'll I'm starvin' somethin' fierce." She threw her pack over her shoulders and strolled toward the door with a backward smile. "See ya, Ms. Snow."  
  
"Have a good day, Terra."  
  



	16. Pandora's Polonius

Chapter 16: Pandora's Polonius  
  
"Now that we've actually got five seconds to talk," Terra said, chomping into a ham and cheese sandwich. "How ya'll likin' school so far?"  
  
"American sfool sure if a lot more interefting that British school if," Ron said, his mouth almost too full to talk. He swallowed hard. "More interesting people to talk to. There was this girl in my second block who swore up and down that someone was following her. But she shrugged it off like it was nothing at all."  
  
"We've got a few weirdoes at this school, yeah," Blank smirked. "Take those two, for example." She jerked her thumb toward Renee and Terra. "Renee's hyper all the time and no one knows how Terra finds the energy to act so insane twenty-four-seven."  
  
"It's 'cause I'm a Hamlet," Terra grinned. "I'd love to find out who my Claudius is. Probably Dirken, he'd be an excellent Claudius. But that would make him my uncle...and my mother's husband. Ew. Ew. Ew. Major. Well, at least it isn't true."  
  
"And who would that make Polonius?"  
  
"Whoever is his right hand. What about Ophelia? I'm a girl!"  
  
"Riku!" Renee shouted.  
  
"Sora!" Blank cried on her heels.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione laughed right after them. All three said boys' cheeks changed to a nice rosy tinct, the likes of which wouldn't be coming off any time soon.  
  
"Hey, hey, what about Horatio! He's the most important part!"  
  
"I know, I know!" Ron laughed. "Blank or Renee."  
  
"Blank, I'd say," Kyle languidly walked in and wrapped his arm around Terra and Renee's waists. "How are we all doing here in Imagination Land? College is fine, mates, before you even ask."  
  
"What makes you think we'd ask?" Terra asked, slipping from his arm and prancing about the hall. "Shining star, where art thou?"  
  
"Vanishing from the sky," Kyle said, suddenly glum. "Another star went poof while ya'll were gone."  
  
Silence subdued the little group. So many places were vanishing out from under their noses already. How many more will need to be sacrificed before their six years were up? Terra frowned, her brow wrinkling in worry. Would they lose anyone?  
  
"We'll just have to keep doing what we are," she said. "That's the only way to beat Pandora and Dirken."  
  
"Pandora's Polonius!" Renee yelled.  
  
They laughed.  
  
"Are you gonna stab her behind an arras, Terra?"  
  
"I sure hope so," she said, completely serious.  
  
  
  
Terra waved good-bye to the others as she and Riku headed at last to their final class of the day: History. Harry and Hermione had math. Ron was all by himself in English. Riku's silver hair bounced lightly as he practically dragged his feet into the tiny history room.  
  
"'U.S. History I'," Terra read the door. "I've only passed that about twenty times since semester, but I still don't like it. The history of my own country doesn't really interest me. I like histories I've never heard of before. Like the Meiji Era in Japan. Maybe it'll interest you more; you've never heard it before."  
  
"Perhaps," he said.  
  
"You've been...rather quiet since we started all this, Riku," Terra said as they walked into the room. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine. A little overwhelmed, but fine."  
  
"I'm here, Riku. I know what you're going through."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Do you really know? I don't think so."  
  
Terra didn't have an answer to that. The class filed in and they sat together in the very back of the room. The American Revolution—again. Terra sighed, sinking into a deep trance. No one wanted to hear Oldsman drone about subjects they'd heard about fifty times over.  
  
She idly began doodling in her notes. Listening, she jotted down things that sounded important. The class began reading out loud from the book. By now, she was an expert at paying attention and idly drawing at the same time. When it was her turn to read, she picked up exactly where she should.  
  
She shut the book almost instantly when the bell rang for the end of class. Waiting for everyone else to get out, she slowly shoved her books into her bag. The teacher stood outside to monitor the halls. Slowly, she turned and glanced at her silver-haired friend and spoke up at last.  
  
"Riku, is there something you're not telling me?" Terra asked. "I mean, you've been real quiet..."  
  
"I guess I just miss Kairi," he said, staring at the wall. "She meant a lot to Sora and me. And we know Pandora's not exactly trustworthy..."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry she's gone, Riku." She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, letting him rest his cheek against her shoulder. "We'll find her. She's safe, I know she is. Even demons keep their promises." He placed his hand on her shoulder, as though to push her away, but he didn't.  
  
They stood there like that for several moments in silence. At last, Riku lifted his head again and turned away, shouldering his white pack. As if nothing had happened, Terra grinned, speaking again.  
  
"And if Pandora's really a Polonius, believe me, she's really, really stupid." He smiled, his eyes softly closed. In that instant, Terra knew she loved him. She also knew she would never be able to have him. Kairi had already taken his heart.  
  
"Wonderland," Freda said, whistling through her teeth. "Morning, all. Have a nice day at school?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Blank grinned. As Sora glanced curiously at the heart-shaped hedge of the Queen of Hearts' garden, she frowned. "We're really going in there?"  
  
"Yup," Freda said. "Terra always said this was the hardest part in the game."  
  
"Why?" Kyle asked. "They're a bunch of card people and an old fat hag."  
  
"Because she never got that strong before she got here," Al said. "I, on the other hand, was smarter and powered up in Traverse Town."  
  
"Well, there's no such thing as experience points here, as Riku so eloquently put it," Blank said. "Are we all ready?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Then let's get moving."  
  
The small group walked in to the garden, where the queen was already beginning her "trial" on Alice. Sora couldn't help but stare at the woman. She uncannily looked a lot like Terra's high school principal.  
  
"Who goes there? Halt! Halt, I say!" shouted the woman. "Who are you?"  
  
"Er..."  
  
"We're here to prove Alice's innocence. If you will give us some time, we will gather evidence for her," Blank said, her eyes blazing. "Will you let us?"  
  
"If you must," she sighed. "But if you do not find evidence, or I find it insufficient, it's off with ALL of your heads!"  
  
Sora grimaced at the image that popped into his head.  
  
  
  
"Why are we doing this again?" Freda asked. "Alice got out of worse scrapes in the movie..." "This isn't the movie, Mom," Al said. "Nor is it a game. It's real life. You gotta get that through your thick skull. We've got to help Alice because she can't help herself."  
  
They tramped through the woods in silence. Every once in a while, a Heartless or two would attack them, but so far, nothing of great importance happened. No one seemed to know where they were going, their only intent being to find "evidence" of whatever Alice's crime was. Which no one seemed to know the specifics of, by the way.  
  
"Where's that stupid cat?" Blank muttered. "It should have been here a long time ago."  
  
"We're looking for a cat now?" Freda blinked.  
  
"The Cheshire Cat, to be precise," Al said. "It's more of an annoyance than a help, but riddles are what it does best."  
  
The pink and red striped cat was nowhere to be seen.  
  
On they trekked, into the night.  
  
"Well, we'd best get back to Hogwarts for our sleep," Blank said with a sigh. "I wonder if queenie in there will just get impatient and do Alice in anyway."  
  
"I sure hope not," Sora said, bowing his head. 


	17. Riku's Rendition

Very long chapter, this one....  
  
Chapter 17: Riku's Rendition  
  
"My friends," Harry said, grinning ear to ear. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."  
  
Terra lost her foothold and collapsed to her knees. She wished she had eight times eight eyes to see it all. "Diagon Alley...I can't believe it. I'm really here. I'm really in Diagon Alley."  
  
Small shops lined the cobblestone street so similar to Traverse Town it was frightening. Early morning fog clung to the area, but she could still see it clear as day. Hanging signs with words and pictures depicting their type dribbled at odd intervals. Other witches and wizards going about their early morning business, dressed in all manner of apparel, walked down the street. Two young children raced each other to a sweetshop. It was like a dream come true for Terra.  
  
And, at the very end of the street, barely in view, was the marble building of Gringotts. Dumbledore led the way through the crowded street, his white beard tangling with his thumbs as he walked. Riku and Terra walked together behind the old man. She saw his eyes sliding off to the sides, taking in what he could while seeming indifferent. So he was curious about this world. Nearly giggling, Terra peeked into each of the shops as they passed the windows.  
  
Scissors flew of their own accord in the barbershop. All kinds of odd telescopes and sky charts filled the Astronomy Today! and cauldrons of all tints and tones stacked the walls and ceiling in Something to Brew In. Broomsticks, pets of all types, books, potions supplies, quills and inks, and food of all styles and cuisines peeped back at her from every angle.  
  
"It's always been a dream of mine...to look in all of these shops, see if I could look in them all one day," Terra said as they passed a small owl post office. "Like one big open-air mall or plaza."  
  
"Not today, I'm afraid," Dumbledore said, glancing back at her. "We must get back to King's Cross by eleven o'clock to make the Hogwarts Express. It's traditional to take the train. Even in special instances."  
  
"You're awfully quiet, Renee," Terra said, glancing at her friend. "Any particular reason?"  
  
"That man back there was looking at us funny," she whispered. "I think I saw him back at the Leaky Cauldron. I think he's following us! Don't look back. If he's still there when we get to Gringotts, I'll let ya'll know."  
  
"So, Harry, see anyone you recognize?" Terra asked. "I mean, I might recognize peeps, but, ya know...I'm not exactly supposed to. Are we gonna tell people we're from another dimension, Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"I'm still debating that myself," he said. "It would make things easier for you, but the knowledge of other worlds could completely warp our own. The dangers are real. We could cause severe disruptions in our own timeline. After all, you've read about us beyond this point. You, in essence, know the possibly future without the addition of all of this."  
  
"Yeah, and some of it I do wish I could change," Terra said darkly. "In fact, a lot of it I would like to. Deaths and lives so heavily changed because of this da—"  
  
"Please do not curse."  
  
"Sorry. Jus' a li'l nervous and a bit angry, really."  
  
"Why?" Riku asked.  
  
"The things I know about this place..." Terra closed her eyes tightly. "Harry, you're in you're fifth year, am I right?"  
  
"Yes, I am," he said.  
  
"So the...er, I don't wanna mention it by name, but, er...have you gone to trial and stuff already? You escaped Fudge, am I right?"  
  
"Yeah," he said shortly.  
  
"Sorry to bring it up, I just wanted to know. Question, Professor. Why did you stop the 'I'm not anything more to Potter than a Headmaster' gig? Not working? This too important?"  
  
"Things change, circumstances change. The current situation at this point may be unrecognizable to what you know," Dumbledore said. They reached the marble white steps of Gringotts bank. Terra smiled at the door, which was clearly inscribed with the warning poem. "Enter stranger, but beware...Classic."  
  
"It's strange. Something I see all the time is so interesting to you," Harry said, pushing the door open from behind.  
  
"Freda gave me some money for your school things," Dumbledore said. "Renee, Riku, she gave me some for you as well. Where are your parents, Renee, might I ask?"  
  
"I live by myself," Renee said shortly. "Freda helps me out sometimes. I had to quit my job a few weeks ago."  
  
Terra stared at the goblins, who were all working diligently behind the counters. A particularly ugly one beckoned them to its counter. His pointed ears had two nicks in it, reminding her strongly of Dirken.  
  
"I'd like to exchange Muggle for wizard money, please," Dumbledore said, piling several British notes on the counter. "School shopping for transfer students today."  
  
"Ay, seems a right old bunch," croaked the goblin with a jovial wink. "Cute little one on the end. Where ya get that lovely 'air, love? All mottled up like a calico, eh, missy?"  
  
Renee blushed, her cheeks staining a lovely shade of pink.  
  
"Ah, the grace of honesty to 'er," chuckled the goblin. "Keep that, love. Nothin' like it in the worl' anymore, it seems to me. Eh, Albus, ay?"  
  
"Proof stands before you," Dumbledore said, smiling. "But you are right. It is a dying fashion. Thank you, Stubbs."  
  
"Welcome much! See ya soon, ay? 'Ave a lovely day, you lot."  
  
That'll teach me to judge by a book's cover again, Terra thought. Dumbledore divided the galleons up between her, Riku, and Renee. He reached deep within his cloak and withdrew three sheets of parchment and six silver tickets, inscribed with Platform 9 ¾.  
  
"I must leave you alone now. Will you three show them to King's Cross when you are finished here?" Dumbledore gave the tickets and parchment to Hermione. She nodded and, with a flurry of hand, wand, and robe, he was gone.  
  
"These are your school lists," she said. "Let's go to the trunk shop and get something to put this all in."  
  
  
  
"Okay, we've got robes, cauldrons, quills, ink, schoolbags, and a bunch of other junk," Terra said. "What else?"  
  
"The last thing...wands," Renee grimaced, glancing at her watch. "We've got an hour left. Ollivander's, here we come."  
  
The bell jangled as Renee pushed into the little wand shop. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited outside for them. The little white-haired Ollivander walked with an air of knowing about him that was hard to ignore.  
  
"I was wondering when I'd get the three of you in here," he said, smiling. "I've heard much about you."  
  
"How could you know we'd be—"  
  
"Do not finish that statement," he glanced at the ceiling, then whispered again. "You are in danger here, danger everywhere. I can only give you a good wand. Try this, Terra."  
  
After what seemed like a thousand wands, Terra at last held a red maple, ten-inch wand with a phoenix-feather core. Riku had a pink lady apple wand, nine-inches, with a unicorn's hair. Renee was ecstatic with her seven-inch willow wand with a phoenix-feather core.  
  
"Let's get a move on," Riku said. "We need to get to the train station, fast."  
  
"We leave at eleven and it's ten-twenty," Ron said. "We've got time."  
  
"Every time you say that, we're late," Hermione said. "Come on. Harry, Renee, you carry her trunk. Ron, you and Riku carry his. Terra and I'll carry hers."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement and they set off to the streets of London.  
  
  
  
"We've got to go to the Prefect car for instructions," Ron grumbled under his breath, staring at a particularly vague spot on the red carpet. Hermione and he exchanged a quick glance. The he returned to staring.  
  
"I'll be fine," Harry said firmly. "I've got Terra, Renee, and Riku to keep me company."  
  
"Yeah," Terra nodded. "You guys go on. C'mon, let's see if we can find a car."  
  
The new quartet dragged their trunks aboard the train and peeked into compartments all along the train. Terra gulped at her dry throat. So far, all of the compartments had been empty. A few waved at Harry half- heartedly, wary of the stories they'd heard over the summer. The stories Harry was aware of at last.  
  
"Don't worry about them," Terra said. Harry didn't answer her. "Harry. Harry, did you hear me? Just forget them. It's mob mentality."  
  
"I know."  
  
"They did the same thing to me at every school I've ever gone to," Terra said. "My...my dad...well, because of what happened when I was eight."  
  
Harry glanced back at her, but didn't say anything. Neither Renee nor Riku spoke, hoping that she'd say something. Anything. Do whatever it was she'd wanted to say. Renee sighed as a group of Slytherin seventh years shut the door in her face. She knew that, even eight years later, Terra's father's death still bothered her.  
  
It was one of her many weaknesses. If only there was some way to let her have some kind of closure with him, something that really told Terra that she needed to move on. Stop living her life her father's way, even after he was so long dead.  
  
"Hey, Ginny," Harry said as she came toward them. "Have you seen any clear compartments? We can't find any."  
  
"Sure, you can come sit with Luna, Neville, and I. Loony Lovegood is a Ravenclaw in my year and she's a tad strange, but she's real nice."  
  
"She's a Hamlet, I say," Terra grinned. "Crafty crazy, like me. 'I am but mad north-north-west' an' I sure can tell the difference 'tween a wand and a normal stick."  
  
"Why do you act so crazy sometimes?" Riku asked softly as they made their way past more full compartments.  
  
"Insanity is the path to madness as long as madness does not consume your heart," Terra said. "I am talented at using my insanity to gain insight, while keeping a portion of my mind unharmed."  
  
"Talented or truly mad?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. She stopped dead in the hall and stared at him, thinking hard.  
  
"I don't know. Does an insane person know they are insane? No one knows. Insanity is the partial or full loss of conscious thought." She smiled and heaved her trunk along again. "And that's all we know, sweetheart."  
  
  
  
Ginny chanced a quick look over her shoulder at the three people her brother's friend was leading. They were way too old to be first-years. Yet the book the calico-haired girl was reading (completely ignoring the conversation of the other two) was first-year course book.  
  
The two girls were strange. The reading girl was short, limping slightly on her left, her eyes ever-squinted, like she was trying to read the words on her page from a mile away. Her mottled, calico hair was gorgeous, but made her look so feline, Ginny could have sworn she'd seen her change into a cat a few seconds ago. The other one was missing her left brow and all of her eyelashes, and was wearing a look that reminded her of Loony Lovegood. Yet at the same time, she appeared calm, patient, daydreaming about someone or something, completely oblivious to the world.  
  
Of course, she shouldn't be the one judging. For years, she'd been dancing, dating, and generally getting into underhanded mischief, and no one had really noticed. She smiled as she turned in to the compartment. A sly fox told no lies, only twisted the truth.  
  
The guy, however, really caught her interest. Not in a "oh, cute guy alert!" way, but in that curious way the silent type ensnares all princesses. That long, sleek silver hair and those slim jade eyes that sought angel's eyes in that gamboling way that lies love to toy with. She wasn't entirely certain that she trusted any of them.  
  
In the very last carriage, they met up with Neville Longbottom, who was mumbling about all the places being full. Mr. Longbottom was a gentleman, to be certain. He was what Ginny would call a gentle giant, only because of his wide "load". Those piggy jowls were better for talking than eating. If you could only get him on a subject he enjoyed, he became not that boy who was a little clumsy or a little too fat for his age, but a great conversation.  
  
"Don't be silly, there's one right here," Ginny said, opening the door to Luna Lovegood's compartment. She was the only one. "Hi, Luna. Is it okay if we take these seats?"  
  
The Ravenclaw glanced up candidly, as if she was expecting the sudden flash of a camera. She nodded distantly.  
  
"Thanks," Ginny said, smiling.  
  
Loony was another matter all together. Ginny Weasley had no idea how or when she'd begun hanging out with the Ravenclaw.  
  
It really had just happened one day in the library, when she snatched back a quill a couple of idiot Slytherins had taken from Luna. Ginny found herself protecting Luna as much as she could. Today she was wearing her streaking dusty-blond hair in cockeyed pigtails, reading her father's latest magazine upside down. As always, her wand was behind her ear and she was wearing her infamous butterbeer cap collection round her neck.  
  
"Have a good summer, Luna?"  
  
"Yes. Yes, it was quite enjoyable," she stared right at Harry, her dreamy, wide eyes crazed. "You're Harry Potter."  
  
"I know I am," Harry nodded, a little strange himself by the way Luna had conducted herself about him.  
  
She looked at Neville, who was laughing under his breath. "I don't know who you are, though."  
  
"I'm nobody," he said hurriedly.  
  
"Yes, you are! Neville Longbottom—Luna Lovegood," Ginny said. "Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."  
  
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," Luna added, singing. Her eyes turned to the other strange occupants of the compartment, especially the eyelashless girl. She blinked. "And you are?"  
  
"Terra Jem," she said. "These are my friends, Riku Sawaguchi and Renee Indigo. How do you do?"  
  
"Just fine," Luna smiled. "Are you new?"  
  
"We're...a little behind the others," Terra said. Ginny could tell she was keeping something back. "We're all sixteen, but we're gonna be first and second years this year. Our education was somewhat...delayed, you see."  
  
"Delayed?" Neville said, clutching his schoolbag close.  
  
"Yes. We're on what you would call a 'speed course'," Renee said, grinning. "But we won't be here again next year. Other people are gonna come and do the same thing we are, then we'll switch, see? Weird, I know, but...our careers keep us away. We can't tell you what they are, though, 'cause it's a secret."  
  
Now they were both lying. Something was up, Ginny could smell it like a newly bloomed bit of weed. The silver-haired boy sat in the corner, watching the two girls—well, really, only Terra—with a vague smile on his handsome face. Silent, the smile was barely visible, and might have been confused for a daydream, like Luna's constant. However, Ginny knew what that look was. She'd seen it before.  
  
At just that moment, Cho Chang pushed the compartment door open.  
  
"Oh, um...hi, Harry," she said. "Um...oh, there you three are, Professor Sprout has been looking for you. Okay, um...bye, Harry."  
  
Just as fast as she'd come, she was gone. Five seconds later, the flyaway Herbology professor had come in the compartment, breathless. She swallowed hard, trying to catch her running heaves.  
  
"Calm down, Professor," Terra stood up and helped her into a seat. "What's wrong? Cho Chang said you wanted to see us..."  
  
"Yes, yes, I did, dearie. Dumbledore...decided it would be better if you started in fifth year, and studied first through third on your own. Luckily, he said you'd already bought your books up to sixth year. I can hardly agree with that, but perhaps you can convince me otherwise, eh?"  
  
"Certainly," Terra smiled, nodding. "And I'm sure that Harry and the others will be glad to give us a helping hand. We're all readers here, and quick learners, I wager. Probably that's his reasoning. We've had a bit of difficulty—"  
  
"Yes, he's explain your...er...peculiar circumstances. You won't be here next year, but you can always send...er...an owl, to ask a smart question or two while you're away. I think that's a fine idea, Ms. Jem. Very well. He also asked me to mention that there is a certain objective he will be offering this year that you might find...what's the word? 'Interesting', he said."  
  
Ginny's eyebrows shot up. How did this girl already know Dumbledore, Sprout? It was pretty obvious that she was a muggle. All three of them were. Who were these girls? Who was that guy? Why, why, why were they coming to school so late?  
  
"Well, have a good last bit of the journey," Sprout said. "See you soon!" With that, she Apparated, presumably to Hogsmeade. As Hermione continuously tried to tell Ron and Harry, Ginny knew that it was impossible to Apparate or Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds.  
  
The afternoon wore on, yet still Terra and Renee hid themselves. Hermione and Ron came in about an hour after they had left King's Cross. Both were frustrated and angry—the Slytherin prefects were Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy. Ginny shoved her fist into her mouth on several occasions, to keep from laughing at the others' reactions to Luna.  
  
Speaking of the devil, in walked Draco Malfoy only a few moments after Hermione and Ron. He smirked at Harry, trying to entice him into a fight. Ginny knew Harry well enough to know it wouldn't happen. Draco, too, wouldn't go as far as he would have before he'd seriously spoken with Ginny. The silver-haired beast knew not to cross paths with fire again.  
  
  
  
Riku waited patiently for the train-ride to end. His trunk was stuffed full of books and materials. The new white schoolbag had his wand, still in its box, and several rolls of parchment, a few quills, and inkwells of different colors. Languidly, he watched Terra's every move from the corner, his other eye just barely moving with the others as they conversed. Terra's friend was reading her book again.  
  
Why had Terra not told these people what was going on? She obviously trusted the redhead, Ginny, and the blond, Luna. Neville was questionable, but she respected him.  
  
Her every physical move interested him. Why did she act the way she did? Why did she walk without gait, as if there was no spice to her feet? For a little more than a week, he'd been by her side for nearly every waking moment, and yet she was still a mystery to him.  
  
I don't want to lose you... Why had he said that to her?  
  
What had possessed him to show her the kittens in the waterfalls?  
  
What had he been thinking...?  
  
Memories  
  
"Let's get some of these mangoes and get going," Terra reached up and picked a pinkish fruit, smiling. "These look really good." She chomped into one. "Not only that, they are good! Mmm, try one, Riku!"  
  
He smiled, trying not to laugh. Did not succeed.  
  
"What are you laughing at?"  
  
Instead of answering, he threw himself on the ground, laughing so hard his face was a bright red. Half-eaten mango slammed into his cheek.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Hey, yourself!" Terra giggled. "Here." She reached down to help him up. Riku took her hand, but instead pulled her down, right on top of him. Her eyes flew to the left and the right, panicking. He enjoyed the panic in her eyes. "Riku! Lemme go!"  
  
"Nope!" he held her tightly to him. Terra struggled to get up, only to have his grip grow firmer. "I won't ever let you go, Terra!"  
  
"Riku...you're hurting me," Terra's breath came up short, her lungs squeezed. He instantly loosened his grip, but did not release her. "Will you please let me up?"  
  
"Nope." He smiled at her.  
  
"You know, this is really uncomfortable," Terra said, her eyes darting left and right.  
  
"Terra, are you okay?" Riku studied her face, his own lapse and mirthful.  
  
"I'm fine. Now will you please let me up?"  
  
"All right." He released her, pushing her and himself to their feet.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry." Riku refused to face them. "I'm so sorry I brought either of you into this."  
  
Terra spun him around to face her. Her punch landed hard on his face. Pain was not the word to describe what he felt, so shocked was he by the action.  
  
Kairi gasped.  
  
"I don't care who the hell you think you are," she snarled. "But you will not take that sort of blame on yourself. Blank helped you, did she not?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Then stop stabbing yourself over the past and help everybody face the future. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get any of us anywhere."  
  
  
  
"Like I promised!" The disembodied voice had returned. "She will be safe, little Anomaly. No worries." The voice stopped, and so did Kairi. A new wind, warm and comforting, whipped around her, taking her away.  
  
"You'd better!" Riku shouted. He sighed and turned to Terra, his silver hair drenched. She looked like a little lost kitten in the rain. "Looks like this is it, Terra. This is goodbye, for now."  
  
"Don't give in, Riku," she said. "Don't give in to the darkness."  
  
KEYBLADE...KEYBLADE...  
  
Terra's face lit up in a turmoil of emotions. Her eyes cast dark shadows of black and white lighted silver streaks, wide with what he could only call fear. The Keyblade appeared in a flash of silver light in her right hand.  
  
"Ri-Riku! I don't know what to do! How do I fight—"  
  
"You'll learn later," he grabbed her arm, just like before. "I'm not going anywhere. I don't care about the stupid story anymore. This isn't Kingdom Hearts any more. This is our story, and we'll tell it like we want to tell it." He grinned.  
  
  
  
Darkside flew into the dark orb above them.  
  
Riku ran toward her, reaching out for her hand.  
  
She grabbed for his hand.  
  
He took her hand, hugged her close, his arms tight around her waist, hers about his shoulders.  
  
"I'm not going to lose you," he whispered. "Not now. Not right now."  
  
  
  
"It's attitudes like that, Terra, that keep this world a simple little game," Riku said. His voice was choked, heavy. "We're only a game to people in your world. I thought you could understand. I thought you'd be able to, once you saw the fact that we're living, breathing, thinking beings, not characters on a screen."  
  
"R-Riku...I'm sorry," Terra clasped the silver chain at her neck. "I'm so- sorry."  
  
And she ran blindly toward the Third District.  
  
"Terra! Terra, stop! Stop! Please! Stop..." His jaw set, he ran as fast as his two legs could carry him.   
  
Riku sighed, so quietly no one heard him. When the Traverse Town Heartless had rained from the sky and attacked Terra, he thought he would lose her. Lose the one person who understood him, even better than Kairi understood him. Why had he done all those things for Terra, why had he stayed by her side until she woke? Why didn't he start asking questions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they came? Why did he let them lead into this world, where everything was so warped? He didn't know why or how, but something was wrong here. Not the picture of him and her in this realm, but the picture of himself after she woke up.   
  
"Riku, is there something you're not telling me?" Terra asked. "I mean, you've been real quiet..."  
  
Of course. I'm not telling you plenty Riku thought. That's why...  
  
"I guess I just miss Kairi," he said, staring at the wall. "She meant a lot to Sora and me. And we know Pandora's not exactly trustworthy..."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry she's gone, Riku." She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, letting him rest his cheek against her shoulder. "We'll find her. She's safe, I know she is. Even demons keep their promises." He placed his hand on her shoulder. Meaning to push her away, he stopped, suddenly fighting against himself. Tears prickled hotly behind his eyes. But he would not cry, not here.  
  
They stood there like that for several moments in silence. At last, Riku lifted his head again and turned away, shouldering his white pack. As if nothing had happened, Terra grinned, speaking again.  
  
"And if Pandora's really a Polonius, believe me, she's really, really stupid." He smiled, his eyes softly closed. In that instant, he knew he loved her. But she knew his past, his present, and his predicted future. She would never like him. Not in the way he needed her to love him.  
  
Love?  
  
  
  
The train pulled, screeching, into Hogsmeade Station. Terra gathered up her hair into a messy pencil bun as Ron and Hermione dashed out to supervise people packing their things. Harry was moody as the rain pit-patting against their window. Hoping that reassurance on her part would help, she smiled at him as he passed. She was just about to head outside behind him when Riku touched her shoulder and pulled her back in gently.  
  
The others were long gone.  
  
"Riku, we've got to get off the train, we—"  
  
"Not until I've said something," Riku glanced out into the empty hall, his aqua eyes hunting. "I...I've got something to tell you. Something that may be hard for you to take."  
  
"What is it?" Terra blinked, staring at him. "You can tell me, I can take it."  
  
"I...I..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I...um...You need to practice. With the Keyblade, while we're here," he said.  
  
"Oh. Well, yes, I was planning to," Terra's eyes narrowed. There was something fishy about this whole thing. What had he really wanted to say? "We can practice in one of the empty classrooms, I think."  
  
"O-Okay. Um...Terra?"  
  
"Yes, Riku?"  
  
"Mind not...er...saying anything? About what would have happened had...well, you know."  
  
"Yeah, no prob. C'mon, we've got to get off this train."  
  
Terra pulled him out of the car, straight toward the carriages that would carry all upper years to the Hogwarts grounds. She smiled at the horse-like monsters that pulled them, which she was certain Riku could not see. A lot of people couldn't see them. Off the top of her head, she couldn't recall what they were called. Harry Potter was one of her favorite book series, but that didn't mean she'd memorized every aspect—and perhaps that was a good thing.  
  
Riku climbed up onto the long step-bar and offered her his hand. Smiling, she took it and sat regally upon the splintery wooden seats. He sat straight and tall, like a knight or a prince. They laughed, hearing the pit- a-pat of the rain returning outside.  
  
The night wore on within Hogwarts castle. Terra noticed that Umbridge was absent, but she didn't worry about it. Little did they know, as the Sorting Hat sang its song and they dove into the unfamiliar tastes of British food, that Pandora's plan was well on its way. In fact, they were following it exactly.  
  
Sora blinked in the sun of the new day, walking with the others back to the high school again. Only twenty minutes ago, he'd been in Dumbledore's office learning more general imagination things from Terra, then took the Sleep Draught for ten hours of sleep. Renee tugged at his arm, swinging him through the doors, straight into Mrs. Deckman.  
  
"Try and be a tad more careful, Krabsson," she said, chuckling as he and the calico-haired girl slunk away.  
  
"Does she intentionally mess up people's names?"  
  
"Only those she can't pronounce," Renee giggled. "Or if she likes you."  
  
Sora was sure he'd turned a lovely shade of green.  
  
The freshmen trio huddled together, walking toward Flint's classroom with a hounds-of-Hades shine of fear in their eyes. Light glittered and splashed oddly against the doors of the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora thought he saw a dark shape, with red glowing eyes, watching him closely. Upon closer inspection of the area, all he could see was a lone freshman boy he'd seen in all of his classes. Not a threat.  
  
In Flint's classroom at last, Sora collapsed in the seat. He dropped his pack with a loud THUNK. Renee sighed, throwing her calico hair up in the air, grinning.  
  
"Glad to get a rest, eh, Sora?"  
  
"You bet," he grinned. "Jeez, this is a weird book. I went ahead and read it, when we were waitin' on Terra and you to finish your homework last night. Weird."  
  
"I agree, and sad. Some people actually thought Huxley was right for a while," Blank said, sighing. "Actually, there are still some that think some of it will. You ought to read 1984. Not only weird, but scary, too."  
  
Sora grabbed the edge of the table and swung on top of it. Letting his legs dangle and swing, he stared at Renee's calico hair.  
  
"How did you get your hair in patches like that?"  
  
"No one knows," she grinned. "It just started changing color on its own when I was seven. I love it, though. It used to be black, like Blank's. And Blank's used to be light brown, like Terra's. And, you wouldn't believe it, Terra's used to be silvery blond."  
  
"I don't know about none of that, but I've got another question for you," Sora glanced at the clock. Still fifteen minutes till class began. Plenty of time. "How...when...well, tell me what on earth made you decide to create Dirken?"  
  
Renee looked at him straight, possibly for the first time. The entire visage of her face was hard, like granite, gray and shiny. When she spoke at last, her voice was low and gravelly, like being licked by a tiger's tongue.  
  
"I was a young writer—naïve. I thought it was me that ruled the words that came from my fingers. You think it's so simple. Writing a few words on a page, making a few characters, even drawing them out. The truth is, all you do is write the first couple pages and know the end. The middle does exactly what it wants to.  
  
"Dirken was my main antagonist, of a story I've long since trashed and thought unworthy of public sight. But the story kept going, in my head. I still saw his wild green eyes. So I started another story, three years ago. Dirken was the main antagonist again. He was a sex fiend, human, not a demon. He chased my protagonist down, but she was protected by her boyfriend. They sent Dirken to jail and lived on.  
  
"I wrote another story, with him again. Completely different setting. Still a sex fiend, but now he was a demon. I kept repeating that cycle, developing Dirken to the point he was a real person, a demon who hunted the protagonist. Who was always me, by the way, masked and changed, but me. My latest story, about a year ago, made him so real, it was frightening. It scared me to look my drawings of him in the eye. And that fear, that so very, very real fear, made him real.  
  
"He was a real demon, and he was really after me." She blinked back tears. "Did you know that I've only known Blank and Terra since the start of this year? I...I was all alone, when I met Dirken for the first time. I lived alone, I had no friends, I was barely making payments. My house was food stamp and coupon central. Still is, I'm afraid. But now I've got Blank and Terra.  
  
"Anyway, Dirken walked into the room and just stood there, smiling at me. Like some sort of weirdo neo-Creation. I felt a lot like Victor Frankenstein, seeing his creation in the night of his dorm room. Then he...he...well...he said he would get me again. Worse than the first time. But he stayed away when I found Terra and Blank, so I figured I was safe, so long as I had my friends. Now I find I just got them and everyone else in danger."  
  
"Don't talk like that, Renee," Blank said. "It isn't Dirken who's doin' all this. It's Pandora. And now you've just got more friends on your side to help fight all these demons."  
  
The classroom door swung open. Mr. Flint was carrying a cable in his right hand, which he promptly plugged into the wall. He dragged a TV cart from the back of the room and turned it on. A reporter was in the middle of a sentence when it came on.  
  
"...apparently dangerous. Reports of attacks are pouring in from all over the city. One woman was rushed to the emergency room with deep wounds all over her arms. All of the creatures seem to bear a strange coat-of-arms, shaped like a broken heart. One of our reporters claims that the creatures resemble those in a movie entitled 'Kingdom Hearts', called the 'Heartless'. Although we can't be sure what they really are, we encourage everyone to arm themselves against the creatures..."  
  
"The Heartless are already coming?" Sora whispered to Blank.  
  
"I thought normal weapons don't work on them," Renee said.  
  
"The rules are different from place to place," Blank said. "I'm betting that normal weapons work because imagination created them. And...magic must work in Education because intelligence counters them. And Passion must not work so well because they were born of evil. That'd be my guess."  
  
"We've just got a video from a young amateur downtown. Bob, can we see the clip?"  
  
The screen crackled. A middle-aged woman was a good distance away, hacking away with a large blue purse at a Shadow Heartless. The picture was wobbling. The video taper must have been running toward the woman, because the image was getting closer and closer.  
  
The Heartless overpowered the woman, and suddenly vanished. A heart-shaped jewel appeared and a Soldier Heartless appeared in its place. The camera stopped short, but still shook. The Heartless vanished with the strange clunking noise Sora was now accustomed to.  
  
"Er...Bob, are you sure—oh, er...cut! Cut! Go to commercials!"  
  
"God Almighty," Flint whispered. "Our world's gonna vanish, isn't it?"  
  
Sora stared at the screen, which had gone a difficult shade of blue. 


	18. Power of Love

Another long one!  
  
Chapter 18: Power of Love  
  
"What are we gonna do?" Terra whispered fiercely as Sora, Blank, and Renee walked into Ms. Snow's classroom. "We can't possibly leave all those people defenseless out there! They are clueless!"  
  
"What do you suggest, Terra?" Blank fisted her hands to her hips. "Goin' on national TV and goin' 'oh, sorry we didn't tell you before, but we're being invaded by the Heartless, which are aliens from another Dimension?!' Hell, no! We'd be breaking about a hundred interdimensional primal laws!"  
  
"Screw the laws! That woman just got turned into a HEARTLESS and won't ever come back," Terra growled. "I ain't putting up with it. I'm telling—someone! Anyone, I don't care. The president, the police, SOMEONE."  
  
"How do we explain the five of us, then?" Hermione asked. "How do we explain how we know?"  
  
"We don't...we just say...we just tell..." Terra cursed viciously.  
  
"Just make sure you don't say that in front of my mum," Ron said, sighing. "I'm all for telling someone. But who?"  
  
"Dumbledore," Hermione said. "He'll know what to do. Terra's right. We can't just leave all those people defenseless. We could lie—tell them they're aliens here to take over the planet."  
  
"Oh, yeah, and we happen to know that how?" Blank said sarcastically. "Don't just jump into this thing. Think it through first."  
  
"We're going to lose more people by just sitting here."  
  
"Better to lose a few than lose more through rash action," Blank said coolly.  
  
The bell rang, sending them into their seats for class once again.  
  
  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!" Terra was near panic, running toward the white- haired headmaster. "Professor, the Heartless are taking over already in our world—we need to tell them, they at least need to know what they're up against—"  
  
"Terra, calm down," he said. "I've already informed the proper authorities in your dimension. Very curious as to how I knew about them..."  
  
"But...but, what are we supposed to do?"  
  
"Nothing, I'm afraid. We're taking no action. There's nothing we can do except warn them—they can arm themselves, unlike Kingdom Hearts."  
  
"But—"  
  
"Terra, leave it alone," Riku brushed her shoulder gently. "They know now."  
  
"We can do nothing more," Dumbledore said firmly. "Come. Imagination lessons are what we need right now. Perhaps if you started with something else that you enjoy yourself? Say, paints?"  
  
He left, leading the others into his office again. Terra sighed, leaning against the wall beside where the eagle gargoyle usually stood. Riku squeezed her shoulder gently, nodding her toward the entrance.  
  
"We might as well go, Terra. Learning is what we need right now. You know that. Perhaps we can practice after we've had some sleep. Class doesn't start for another four hours, right?"  
  
Terra sighed. "Right." She stepped onto the steps, but lost her balance, toppling straight back into Riku's waiting arms. Her silver eyes met his aqua orbs. Blushing, she stammered out a rushed apology. She joked that perhaps her perpetual imbalance had returned and maybe she needed to spend a few more hours in Sora's body.  
  
Riku gently righted her and they continued up the stairs as if nothing had happened.  
  
  
  
"Right foot, right foot!" Riku shouted, the Lightblade crashing down onto the Keyblade. He backed off, pointing to Terra's right leg. "Bend the knee. You've got to be able to absorb the shock. Feel that jolt in your leg? That's why."  
  
Nodding, Terra bent her knee and prepared for another bout. They had another two hours before breakfast. Both of them had long since finished their homework, and had read all of the books they needed to. Terra felt competent in her first, second, and third year magic. She wasn't too good with certain potions, or any of her fourth year coursework, but she was decent. Riku had this sort of knack for magic. Somehow, he knew and understood everything.  
  
Except, of course, history. And no one paid attention to Binns anyway, with the exception of Hermione, so no one really understood it. The Lightblade jabbed through her defense, and she was extremely glad Dumbledore had dulled the blade. Even so, she was pretty sure she'd have an interesting bruise on her abdomen tomorrow.  
  
"Sorry. Maybe we'd better quit for today."  
  
Terra winced. "All right, I guess." She set the Keyblade up against the wall, sighing. "So, what do you think of how our plan is going so far?"  
  
"As long as none of us goes crazy from all the information and stress, we'll be fine," Riku said, setting the Lightblade next to hers. McGonagall had let them into this spare room, which they'd had to clean themselves before their match.  
  
"That's the main thing I'm worried about," Terra said, sighing. "Yes, it's a great way to learn all we need to, but is it healthy to continuously take that Sleep Draught for six straight years, going to school in two different places, and then switching to fight the Heartless in Kingdom Hearts?"  
  
"I don't know. And I'm worried, too."  
  
"Kairi?"  
  
"No, actually," Riku stared out the window, across the treetops of the Forbidden Forest. "She's fine, I know she is. Pandora made a promise. So did Sora. And I accept both of their promises and take them to heart. Kairi is Sora's, as far as I'm concerned."  
  
Shocked, Terra sank onto an empty desk, atop which sat two drink glasses and a pitcher full of water. Riku gave up on Kairi? Since when? And why? What had brought about this sudden change of heart?  
  
Terra glanced up to try and voice these questions, but yelped in surprise instead. Riku was right in front of her, staring into her eyes curiously. He looked almost suspicious, like he had when he first met her. When he knew she was herself, but played at thinking that she was Sora.  
  
"Wha-What are you doing?" Terra stammered, trying to back up. Her slippery palms couldn't catch the wood of the desk.  
  
"Terra, why do you always look so sad?"  
  
"What? What do you mean, sad?"  
  
"Even when you're laughing, you're eyes don't carry the happiness that should go with it. I've only ever seen you smile for real twice. When I showed you the kittens behind the falls and the first imagination lesson. I've never seen you laugh. You've always forced it, as though it's only a requirement to make others happy. What about you, Terra? When are you going to find time to make yourself happy?"  
  
"I am happy, Riku."  
  
"Then why do you force yourself to smile and laugh and act crazy all the time? You know da—"  
  
"Don't you dare curse," Terra whispered fiercely. "I don't give a flying pig's foot about my mouth, but don't you dare dirty yours."  
  
"Terra, listen to me," Riku said, his hands on her shoulders, standing as close as the desk would allow. "Listen to me. What did your father tell you?"  
  
Silver eyes cast toward the ceiling, hoping for an escape. Riku pulled her chin down and stared her straight in the eyes. "What did he say to you?"  
  
FLASH  
  
Eight-year-old Terra watched the doctors working fiercely on her father, doing every trick in the book to make him come alive again. He coughed violently, croaking for them to leave him.  
  
"Terra...Terra, my...daughter," he rasped. "Listen...to me. You be...a...good girl. Watch out...for your brother. Listen...to your mother. Get...through school. Be...happy...act crazy...be everything...I-I wasn't. Can you...can you do that?"  
  
"Yes, Daddy, but why—?"  
  
"Daddy's going...away. He won't...be...back...Terra. I love you..." His hands went slack, his mouth drooped. His eyes didn't close again. His chest didn't rise and fall anymore. The little squiggly lines that had been moving a few minutes ago were straight.  
  
A loud, annoying beeping sound echoed in the room.  
  
"Daddy? Daddy, answer me. Daddy! Help! Help! Somebody! Daddy's not waking up! Daddy!"  
  
"He will not answer."  
  
A man walked in, his white lab coated with blood. Terra stared into his slim green eyes, horrified by his declaration. She watched him turn around, a little flame on the end of a wobbly stick coming out from under the coat. "He isn't going to come back, Terra. I'm sorry."  
  
She glanced at her Daddy, then went out to ask the strange man what he meant. But he was gone.  
  
  
  
"He told me to be happy..." Terra sighed, her hands stubbornly crossed over her chest.  
  
"Then why aren't you?"  
  
"Because he's gone...he just left, just like that."  
  
"It's been seven years, Terra."  
  
"I could have saved him!" she cried, her hands flying to cover the tears in her eyes, the red in her cheeks. "I could have told him, 'Dad, we've got to go. The fire is coming' but I didn't! I didn't do a thing, not until the fire was right on us, and even then, I couldn't save him. I wasn't strong enough. I won't ever be strong enough."  
  
"Is that what's been bothering you all this time? Terra, you were eight years old. You're fifteen now, you've got this inner strength. You've got to find it. You've got to overcome the past. It's eating you alive, from the inside out. Stop living in the past, and look at what you've got right in front of you!"  
  
"What? The impending doom of the entire cosmos, losing everyone I love, and being killed by Pandora?"  
  
"I can't predict the future, but I can tell you that we're going to do everything in our power to defeat Pandora and bring balance back to our dimensions. There's no way we can lose outright—look at all we're doing!"  
  
"What if it's not enough?" Terra sobbed. "If we lose, that's it, we're done for!"  
  
"Terra, no matter what, we'll win," Riku said, shaking her shoulders slightly. "You know how I know that?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Between the two of us we've got the three most important powers," Riku smirked. "Magic, Imagination, and Passion. Terra, I...I wanted to say this before, but I just...I was a coward. Terra...I-I...You're the best friend I've had, in a long time. I'm closer to you than I've ever been to anyone else in my life."  
  
She threw her arms around his neck, crying and smiling at the same time. Even if he didn't like her the same way she liked him, this alone was enough. Smiling, too, Riku held her in his arms, glad that at least something was right in his life. Nothing had felt so right since he'd first suggested that Sora, Kairi, and he build the raft to go to another world.  
  
But still something nagged at him.  
  
  
  
Classes. Terra smiled serenely at the Hufflepuff table, seated next to Riku, across from Renee. The Hufflepuff Common Room was just as warm and welcoming as the people in the House. Justin Finch-Fletchley was quite the gentleman and knew how to make the whole room laugh. The other Hufflepuffs, like Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott, the prefects, were somewhat wary of the new fifth years, who were studying elementary magic at the same time.  
  
But that didn't matter to Terra. All that mattered to her were her friends and what they were going to learn in this world. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had promised to meet them in the library at four, after their last class, to study, do homework, and just plain hang out. Terra's good mood lasted just about as long as it took her to turn around and see Harry. He was staring at his plate forlornly, like a forsaken puppy on the median of an eight-lane highway.  
  
"Seamus don't believe you, neither, I'm suspectin'?" Terra asked gently.  
  
"No."  
  
"Don't worry about it. He'll come round. They all will, Harry."  
  
"How do you—oh, right," he smiled blandly. "I forgot."  
  
Terra smiled back. But she felt her heart sink horribly when the Great Hall doors opened next, and in stepped a squat woman in a horrendous pink cardigan, with an even more horrid black bow in her scraggly hair.  
  
"Umbridge...I'd hoped we wouldn't have to deal with her. Christ, help me get through this."  
  
"Who's Umbridge?" Riku asked.  
  
"Only the nastiest witch I've ever seen who isn't a proclaimed Death Eater," Renee said darkly, ripping into her sausage.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "She was at my trial, but she didn't—"  
  
"Just believe us—you don't want to cross her path. Here she comes! Act natural."  
  
She really did look like a fat toad, her mouth inhumanly wide, her nose stretched and thin, her eyes bulgy and reddish. Instead of hopping along, she waddled up to the High Table and sat next to Dumbledore. He called the attention of the room and introduced her, to scattered applause. She coughed gently.  
  
"Hem hem." Already, Terra could feel a headache coming on. Dumbledore sat down, highly shocked. Terra wasn't. "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome."  
  
They were the last Dolores Umbridge would hear from any loyal Hogwarts resident.  
  
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy, smiling faces looking back at me!"  
  
"Why is she talking to us like we're in grammar school?" Rose Zeller, a new first year in Hufflepuff, asked Terra. She smiled despite herself at the little Rose, who reminded her so much of Al it was uncanny.  
  
"Because she's an evil, twisted git," Terra whispered back. Rose cocked an eyebrow at her. "I know. I've followed a lot of her...uh...legislation. She only got in the school because Fudge wants to spy on Dumbledore."  
  
"Why would Mr. Fudge want to spy?"  
  
"Because, being stupid as he is, he thinks Dumbledore wants his job. And he likes power, see, so he'll do everything he can to keep it."  
  
"Ah, the immortal power-hog. I understand. You're new here, too, aren't you?"  
  
"Er...yes, the three of us are, indeed. We sort of fell behind in our studies, you see."  
  
"You're Terra Jem, right? I'm Rose Zeller. Pleased to meet you."  
  
"The pleasure's mine," Terra smiled.  
  
At last, the flapping toad shut her yap and the school was released to do whatever they wanted. Professor Sprout handed each person a schedule, and Terra instantly glanced at Riku's and Renee's. They were about the same, except...except she had Arithmancy. They had Divination.  
  
"Jeez," Terra whispered. "We've already got Umbride this morning. Then Binns. Then...heaven help us, Snape. With the Ravenclaws. Man. I've got...Vector. Professor Vector. By myself."  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll be fine," Renee said, frowning at her own schedule. "He's pro'lly better than Trelawny, at any rate." (AN-I'm pretty certain Vector's a guy...if not, someone correct me!)  
  
"Come on," Terra heaved her pack onto her shoulder, grabbing the last of her grilled cheese sandwich. "Let's get to the torture chamber."  
  
Grim, the little trio headed straight for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Umbridge was still in the Great Hall, so they had a little time alone in the room, with Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Hannah Abbott. Ingrid Taylor, Jasmine Littletown, Andy Montebank, and Oliver Took were not very far behind.  
  
"Good morning, class."  
  
"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," Terra and Renee said in a sort of drugged monotone.  
  
"Our American guests have it right," Umbridge said brightly. "I'd like everyone to say 'Good morning, Professor Umbridge'. Now, good morning class!"  
  
"Good morning, Professor Umbridge."  
  
Terra paid little attention after that, only to say "Yes, Professor Umbridge" when she asked if they all had their books. Her basic plan was to continue her more elementary skills during this class time, since she, like Hermione, had already finished reading the entirety of the book. If Umbridge had a problem with that, she would calmly answer all her questions. She refused to let the toad get to her.  
  
She knew Renee would ask about the course aims, but she'd warned the calico girl about it before the toad had walked in. Both of them knew better than to question Umbridge, as they'd both read the books. Riku, apparently, had not heard her warning.  
  
His hand was high in the air.  
  
"Don't," Terra mouthed to him.  
  
Stubborn as ever, the boy's hand was in the air.  
  
"Riku, don't," she whispered, her voice barely audible.  
  
"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?"  
  
"No. I want to know why your course aims have nothing about practical use of the skills in this book."  
  
The class murmured.  
  
"Your name is...?"  
  
"Riku Sawaguchi."  
  
"Well, Mr. Sartushi, why would you think it necessary to use defensive magic if you won't be attacked?"  
  
"How do you know we won't be attacked?"  
  
Before long, the entire class was grumbling angrily, like a disturbed hive of bees. Riku sat back in his seat, smirking at the noise. Rolling her eyes, Terra glanced at Umbridge, who was now arguing with Ernie Macmillan.  
  
"Maybe now we'll have some new believers for Harry," Riku whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"If they see that the Ministry is trying to corrupt the classroom, maybe these fifth years will get the rest of Hufflepuff on Harry's side," Riku said. "I managed to read halfway through the fifth book."  
  
Terra's eyes widened as it dawned on her. He was sacrificing perhaps his own good record for the sake of Harry. She smiled and opened The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4. This must be the reason why she loved him so much. His heart. Regardless, he would remain a friend to her.  
  
Only a friend.  
  
The cards leapt at Sora from all angles. Sora jabbed and dodged the spikes and axes they carried. Why had the queen made them attack, instead of just letting Alice go? He didn't have long to think. Blank took his place against a nine of diamonds.  
  
"We'll take care of these!" She shouted, not taking her eyes off the cards, her bow steady in her hand. "You get that tower down!"  
  
"Right," he nodded.  
  
  
  
Sora shook his head at the memory, the Gummi Ship's engines humming beneath him. They still hadn't saved Alice. Blank and Kyle were grim, knowing where she'd gone, refusing to tell him. Freda sighed in the pilot's seat, watching the colorful multiversal stars go by out the window.  
  
"Don't worry about Alice too much, Sora," she said. "She's okay, for now. They won't hurt her. Not yet, anyway."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Hollow Bastion," Al said before Blank could stop him. "The bad guy hangout. Disney is not very original when it comes to its villains. Final Fantasy knows its stuff."  
  
"So what was that door?"  
  
"You mean the Doorknob?" Freda smiled wryly. "You locked the world. Meaning the Heartless supposedly were stilled in their takeover of that world. You only slowed it, though. To stop it, we've got to get stronger and get to Hollow Bastion. Beyond that...I don't think anyone knows."  
  
"How strong?" Sora glanced around. "How strong do we have to get?"  
  
"We get as strong as we can, period," Blank said firmly. "This isn't the game anymore, Freda, I know you haven't quite gotten that. This is not a game. We get stronger, we get smarter, we find our motivation. Or we perish and sink."  
  
"I like the former part," Kyle chimed in. "Of course, I need to get back for my race tonight. Jeez, I took off college and everything to get some rest and junk for it, and now I'm all—"  
  
"Go home, Kyle, I'll drive. We'll come and root for you later. It's finally Friday."  
  
"No more school for two days!" Al shouted. "Hoorah!"  
  
"You sure about this, Missus J?"  
  
"I don't want you breaking your collar bone or something again," Freda pulled him to his feet. "Now, go home. Go to bed."  
  
Kyle relinquished his seat to Terra's mother slowly. Watching from his little corner, Sora saw Kyle's eyes as he bowed his head and jumped straight out of this world. There was something there. Something...indescribable. What was wrong?  
  
Sure, Kyle really wasn't in the "circle" that seemed to have formed. Sure, Sora really didn't know him that well. But somehow, he felt that there was something wrong with Kyle that hadn't been there before this all began. Was there something he wasn't catching? It was no secret Sora wasn't exactly perceptive. In fact, most people would be shocked he'd even noticed the fact that Kyle was acting strangely.  
  
Perhaps Blank would know. After all, they were siblings. Sora glanced around. He would as when Freda and Al were not around. It would be for the best.  
  
  
  
"Finally! Saturday is here!" Al did a little dance around his sister. Sora smiled. What he would do for a little sibling like him...  
  
"I know what you're thinking," Terra grinned. The others pulled ahead a little. "And no, you really would not like a brother or sister. I've seen it before, kiddo."  
  
Sora smiled, too. "You really think that's what I was thinking?"  
  
"Either that or about...her. You miss Kairi, don't you?" Terra blinked, staring at Al, who was tugging Riku to a lemonade stand. The older boy seemed perplexed by Al's large amount of energy. "He had highly carbonated soda."  
  
"Of course I miss her."  
  
"I don't know Pandora. I know Dirken only through what Renee's written and told me. I know Kairi only from the few short hours I knew her on Destiny Islands." Terra stopped, her eyes trained on the track and the bleacher- like chairs that the little group they'd formed were taking. "But I do know one thing. I've still got some of your heart. You've still got some of mine. And in both of them, I feel the beating of hers. She's all right, Sora. I know she is."  
  
Under his hand, Sora's heart beat slowly, calmly. The excitement of the impending race quickened his pulse. Thinking of Kairi made it leap to his throat. It was the same as it had been when they were still on the island. Terra was right. Kairi was okay.  
  
But for how long, Sora did not know.  
  
"Hey, Terra, Sora, what are you two doing back there?!" Kyle leaped out of nowhere and threw an arm around each of their shoulders. "I'll give ya a good show. Neither of you have seen me race before. Hey, Terra, when are you going to come to bed with me?"  
  
"Wh-What?" Terra stuttered.  
  
"Ah, c'mon, I was only yanking yer chain!"  
  
But Sora looked into those aqua eyes so like Riku's and saw no lie. Why would he suggest such a thing? Maybe he was reading him wrong. Maybe Kyle really was just joking. Sora shook his head roughly as Kyle sauntered toward his bike and the track.  
  
"MOTORISTS! Start your engines!"  
  
Sora saw the number 6 on Kyle's back, but that was the only distinguishing thing between him and the other racers on the track. The motorcycles were gunning, throwing the crowd in a noisy circle. Terra and Al cheered Kyle's name out loud. The crowd roared like lions on their prey.  
  
Like the Heartless ready to pounce.  
  
Kyle threw one of his roses into the air as the countdown began. The crowd grew still as the announcer counted. Only the soft hum of the motorcycles below reached Sora's ears. "2...1...GO! And they're off, folks, to a great start!"  
  
Sora screamed with the rest for Kyle, number 6, the man who they all hoped would take the gold. A large man squeezed into the seats behind them. Sora couldn't help but glance back at him. Why was he so familiar?  
  
"Hagrid! I didn't think you'd make it!" Terra whirled around and smiled at the large man, whose bushy black beard all but covered the obvious smile on his lips. "Where're the others?"  
  
"Dumbledore's bringin' the lot soon. Harry had Quidditch today, 'member? Hermione decided to stay an' watch, but I don' right know what happened to Ron..."  
  
"I do," Terra smiled. "Don't you worry, Hagrid, he's fine. Fact is, they're gonna be all smiles once they get here."  
  
"Hagrid" merely blinked at her. Sora hadn't a clue what had her in such a good mood, but just as she spoke, the three Hogwarts students and Dumbledore were walking down the stairs toward them. Sure enough, Ron and Harry were both grinning broadly, though Hermione did look a bit miffed.  
  
"Ron, I can't believe you kept it a secret from us!" Hermione said, sounding hurt.  
  
"Ah, Hermione, let it alone. We know now, don't we? And Ron's been made Keeper!" Harry laughed. Sora glanced at Renee, who was smiling secretly behind her mane of calico hair.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Let it alone, 'Mione," Terra piped up. "He didn't tell anyone else, neither, ya know." The announcer broke his normal speech routine with a shout of surprise. "Number 6 is down! Number 6 is down! It looks bad, folks, paramedics are advancing onto the track, removing most of the bike's remains..."  
  
"Kyle!" Blank was up like a shot and down the stands before anyone could stop her.  
  
In their absence of attention, Kyle's bike had crashed into one of the curves. His bike was a mangled bit a sheet metal. No one could tell if Kyle was all right or not. Before Sora could react, Terra, Freda, and Renee were already down at his side. Al glanced at Sora, then back at the others. Riku followed the little boy's example.  
  
"Go on, we'll be fine," Harry nodded.  
  
The three boys raced down the steps as fast as their feet could carry them. The announcer's updates continued.  
  
"This looks bad, people. The other racers have been asked to stop and leave their bikes where they lie so that we can get Kyle Map safely off of the pavement. His sister, Blank, and several of his friends have raced out onto the blacktop to make certain that he is okay..."  
  
Sora reached the blacktop and forgot all about missing the twisted bits of metal that had spread out over the crash site. Paramedics had taken off Kyle's helmet and were carefully checking his vital signs. Renee grabbed on to Sora's arm in fear.  
  
"They said he might have broken his backbone!" she cried. "They don't want to move him, because they might kill him...they called an ambulance. An ambulance! This is bad, really bad..."  
  
Sora nodded grimly, but stepped away from the calico girl to see Kyle better. His face was covered in scrapes and bruises were beginning to form. The paramedics had placed a neck brace on his and were working hard to get him on a straight white board of some kind. Deep red blood spurted from wounds all over his body, including on his knuckles and his ankles. His right ankle and left jaw both hung at odd angles, making Sora believe they were crushed and probably broken. Kyle still hadn't woken up.  
  
Renee glomped his arm, crying pitifully into his shoulder. Blank stood again and stood on the opposite side of him. She didn't cry. She didn't try to hug him or anything. She simply stood there, taking strength from within and from without. Pain unlike any Sora had ever seen shimmered in her eyes.  
  
"The bike's bars weren't secure," said an official, who was studying the mangled remains of the motorcycle. "This bike was tampered with. Someone tried to murder Kyle Map."  
  
Not one of the people present gasped in shock. They knew exactly who had tried to kill Blank's brother. The ambulance arrived on the scene, driving right out onto the blacktop. Several men in white jumped out, bringing a mobile hospital bed with them. Several hefted Kyle into the ambulance.  
  
"Only family," said one gruffly. Blank climbed solemnly into the back of the vehicle.  
  
Sora watched as they drove away, the alarms whirring eerily throughout the stadium. Those remaining walked off, their faces set. Sora glanced back and happened to glance the white rose Kyle had thrown at the start of the race.  
  
He possibly would never throw one again. 


End file.
